《Wife by Day, Boss by Night》 Chatper 1 Chatper 1 Chapter 1 ¡°Natalie Wright!¡± The sharp bark of her name jolted Natalie awake, and her eyes snapped open to meet a pair of brooding, dark eyes. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. She blinked, disoriented for a few seconds, before realizing where she was. Brian Howard¡¯s gaze fell on her petite figure, and his pupils contracted sharply. Without a word, he grabbed a nket and tossed it at her. Natalie scrambled beneath the covers, her clear eyes quickly misting with tears. She watched Brian rise from the bed, his back to her as he strode into the bathroom. Feeling adrift, she managed to utter a single word, ¡°Brian¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as Brian¡¯s icy stare cut through her. ¡°Brian?¡± His tone was too cold, too cutting, and Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat, prompting her to correct herself hastily, ¡°Mr. Howard¡­¡± She remembereding homest night to a power outage. Brian dragged her into his room before she could make sense of it. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was drunk or what, but she could smell a faint hint of whiskey and something metallic like blood in the darkness. The night was a blur, a nightmare. Just as she tried to exin, she caught sight of a long, bloody gash across Brian¡¯s muscr abdomen. Before she could get a clear look, Brian turned, grabbed her chin with a fierce grip, and growled, ¡°Natalie, do you think you can win me over like this?!¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡± She began to protest. But her plea was cut short by the look of distaste that shed across his eyes. Natalie¡¯s heart sank as she met his unguarded expression, and then she froze. From outside the door came the surprised voice of the housekeeper, Sadie, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Miss Natalie¡¯s dress? How did it end up here?¡± Brian released Natalie and tossed her a shirt, his voicemanding. ¡°Put this on and get out.¡± What? He wanted her to leave with the house full of people, huh? They would notice! Natalie¡¯s panic rose, and she started to tremble, tears streaming down her face. She clutched at Brian¡¯s arm, pleading softly, ¡°Can you just listen to me, please? Last night, I¡­¡® But Brian shook off her hand with a force that sent her tumbling back onto the bed, his face a mask of frost. ¡°Natalie, you¡¯re just like your mother.¡± His words stung more than the physical jolt. 1/2 Chapter 1 When she was a child, she couldn¡¯t understand or intervene in her parents¡® affairs. She only remembered begging them not to divorce, but they did anyway. They were not weed when her mother brought her to the Howard family at six. Her mother urged her to ingratiate herself with the aloof young master so they could secure a ce in the Howard family, and she did just that.. She knew Brian had never liked her, always finding her as annoying as a shadow. Yet, even with his cold nature, he had never looked at her with such disgust. Natalie couldn¡¯t fathom what had gone wrong. Her mind went nk, and she couldn¡¯t understand why Brian had changed so much in just a few days. Thest time she saw him, he had promised to bring her favorite Danish pastries. ¡°You have ten seconds. Get out!¡± Brian¡¯s voice was a growl, and his teeth clenched as he red at her. Natalie stared back at him, her heart suddenly ice cold. Chatper 2 Chatper 2 Chapter 2 When Natalie stepped out the door in the shirt, she noticed the wide¨Ceyed stares of half the Howard family, their expressions ranging from shock to disdain as they watched her bare feet carry her out from within. The weight of their gazes felt like knives piercing through her, the pain so acute she thought her heart might split in two. Sadie was quick to react. She grabbed a nket and wrapped it around Natalie, ushering her back into the safety of her room. Natalie¡¯s mind was a whirlwind of confusion as she sat in her bedroom, the muffled voices from next door barely registering. ¡°Everyone has seen it, and you¡¯ve got to be responsible for her, right?¡± ¡°Responsible?¡± Brian snorted with derision. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give her what she wants!¡± By the afternoon, the Wright family had sent people over. And Natalie¡¯s belongings were tossed out like trash at the Howard mansion¡¯s gate. Sending Natalie back to her biological father was the Howard family¡¯s final statement on the matter. It was pouring rain, but Natalie didn¡¯t bother with an umbre. She looked at Brian with the cold. and hard expression standing under the portico, staring back at her. Her lips trembling, nearly blinded by the downpour, she made onest plea to him. She didn¡¯t me him, but how could Brian be so heartless as to have pushed her away and made her leave? She didn¡¯t want to return to the Wright family, and he knew that too well! But Brian was unmoved by her pleas. He turned his back and disappeared behind the door, the ornate iron gate closing with a loud ng in front of Natalie. The scandal of Natalie and Brian¡¯s affair had spread like wildfire through Streamville in just a few days. The word on the street was that Natalie¡¯s mother had run off with a fortune from the Howard family and a lover, leaving Natalie behind. Natalie had stooped to unspeakable acts to secure. her position and cling to the Howard name. A monthter, Natalie was sent abroad with little fanfare, and the Howard and Wright families quietly let the matter rest with no response. Given the Howard family¡¯s status in Streamville, the incident faded from conversation. Three and a half yearster, at the Wright family, a servant whispered to Samuel Wright, ¡°The chauffeur has gone to the airport to pick up Miss Natalie.¡± 1/2 18:45 Chapter 2 Samuel nced at the Audi parked downstairs but said nothing. Natalie shouldn¡¯t have returned then. She had yet to finish her studies. But with her grandfather Matthew suddenly falling ill and insisting on seeing Natalie onest time, Samuel had no choice but to bring her back. It was yet another rainy day. Natalle stepped out of the Audi, holding a ck umbre. When she looked up, her gaze met Samuel¡¯s for a second before she Indifferently diverted her eyes. It had rained the day when she left the Howard family and when she was sent away. And it was raining on her return. How ironic. ¡°Wee back, Natalie,¡± greeted Gracia Wright, Samuel¡¯s second daughter, with a sly smile at the door. ¡°Mm.¡± Natalie responded curtly. Then, she strode past with her luggage without a nce as she entered the Wright mansion. On the way back, she had learned from the Wright family¡¯s butler that Gracia had been epted into a prestigious film academy. Barely in her second year, Gracia could snag roles effortlessly, having just finished filming a period drama that was already generating buzz N?velDrama.Org (C) content. before its release. Gracia¡¯s opportunities had been secured with the Howard family¡¯s direct involvement, as she was their chosen daughter¨Cinw. Thoughts of the Howard family left Natalie feeling nothing but calm detachment. What was the rtionship between the Howard family and the Wright family? Would Gracial marry Brian, the man whomanded power in Streamville? Whatever had transpired, Natalie didn¡¯t care. After visiting her grandfather in a small detached house at the back of the property, Natalie returned to the living room where Samuel waited, seemingly with something to say. ¡°Now that you¡¯re back, you might as well stay,¡± Samuel said to Natalie. Settling onto the couch with a leg crossed over the other, Natalie looked at Samuel and couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Need a favor from me?¡± Samuel hadn¡¯t seen Natalie in nearly four years and found her much changed. He frowned and replied, ¡°You¡¯re set up for a blind date at Mr. Foster¡¯s dinner party tomorrow. Get some rest. tonight.¡± Natalie smiled, ¡°Mr. Wright, who do you think would dare to date me? After everything that happened, aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll tarnish the Wright family¡¯s name?¡± Chapter 3 Chatper 3 Chatper 3 Chapter 3 Natalie¡¯s blunt words wiped the smile right off Samuel¡¯s face. Natalie bore a striking resemnce to her mother, Audrey, with her smooth skin, statuesque figure, and an innate allure contradicting her innocent¨Clooking face. Her eyes were clear and pure, like those of a girl untouched by the world¡¯s shadows.- Before she left for her studies abroad, she was still budding, but now she had blossomed into a breathtaking beauty. It was her currency in a world where looks could open doors. She was young and pretty. There were always older tycoons drawn to her for that very reason. Samuel had been captivated by Audrey¡¯s appearance back in the day, which led him to marry her in a fit of infatuation. It seemed like the apple didn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Audrey had been no good, and Natalie was cut from the same cloth. Natalie couldn¡¯t be more familiar with Samuel¡¯s disdainful expressions and met his gaze indifferently. ¡°There¡¯s a dinner party tonight with some high¨Cprofile guests. It¡¯s your chance to shine.¡± Samuel said, his voice cold. ¡°Your grandfather wants you there. It¡¯s about your future.¡± With that said, he stood up and left the living room, not giving Natalie a chance to refuse. Natalie watched him leave, her expression growing frosty. ¡°If I must attend, I should dress the part, right?¡± she called out calmly. Samuel paused, pulled a credit card from his wallet annoyingly, and handed it to the butler. He knew N?velDrama.Org owns this. Natalie and Audrey were both as money¨Chungry as theye. ¡°Thanks,¡± Natalie said, taking the card without gratitude, and stepped out the door with a detached air. Lydia, Gracia¡¯s mother, descended the staircase just in time to witness the exchange and sneered, ¡°She spends Gracia¡¯s hard¨Cearned money without guilt.¡± Samuel felt a twinge of guilt towards Lydia. He had promised to cut ties with Audrey and her daughter after divorcing her, but they were still entangled with Natalie. ¡°After tomorrow, it¡¯ll be over. Don¡¯t worry. And with the guests attending, our family will benefit no matter who Natalie marries. The wedding gift alone will be worth a fortune,¡± he reassured her softly. ¡°Better so, or how much longer is the Wright family expected to support that waste of space?¡± Lydia huffed coldly. Outside, Natalie silently clutched the credit card in her pocket, overhearing the conversation 1/2 18:45 Chapter 3 inside. She had forgotten herptop mouse and turned back to retrieve it. So, Samuel wanted to wring out everyst bit of worth from her. A cold smile yed on her lips as she turned away from the Wright mansion for thest time. At the Global Mall, her phone buzzed with a message from King, saying. [You there yet?] [Yeah, I¡¯ll find a coffee shop.] Natalie typed back quickly, striding through the entrance. As she approached the spiral esctor, amotion caught her attention. Security guards. swiftly cordoned off the area. ¡°Make way, please!¡± Natalie nced over, half¨Cexpecting an esctor malfunction. ¡°Must be Mr. Howard, right? I heard he¡¯s discussing a takeover at the Global Mall today. The news must be urate!¡± Two reporters with cameras pushed forward eagerly. ¡°With the Global Mall, that makes it the acquisition by the WL Group, right? In less than four years, Mr. Howard has revived the Howard dynasty. He¡¯s nothing short of a business prodigy!¡± Mr. Howard? Natalie paused, looking up at the Global Mall¡¯s signature triple¨Cstory spiral esctor. Apart from the guards at both ends, there stood a man in a sharp suit, who was tall and imposing, holding a toddler who appeared to be around three years old in one arm. He exuded the aura of an emperor among men. In one nce, Natalie recognized him. It was Brian. Chatper 4 Chatper 4 Chapter 4 Natalie nced at the little boy in Brian¡¯s arms, a sh of surprise flickering across her face. The kid was pale as fresh milk, with sharp, defined features that mirrored his father¡¯s so closely they looked like two peas in a pod. He had a kid already.- But then again, Brian was turning thirty this year. Having a kid at his age was pretty standard fare. ¡°Where¡¯s your cap, little buddy?¡± Brian noticed the bustling crowd in the elevator eyeing his son and frowned, looking down at the little tyke. Nate grudgingly fished out a tiny baseball cap from his grasp, not in the mood to wear it. ¡°Didn¡¯t we have a little gentleman¡¯s agreement, buddy?¡± Brian pinched Nate¡¯s chubby little hand, swiftly took the cap, and ced it on his head, shielding his face from view. ¡°Cotton candy!¡± Blinded by the cap from what was in front of him, Nate could still see the candy store on the ground floor with its pink storefront. He excitedly pointed at it. ¡°No sugar before bed,¡± Brian murmured, a knot forming between his brows. This kid was a handful stubborn, sweet¨Ctoothed, and easily distracted by desserts, just like his mom used to be. ¡°I want it!¡± Nate¡¯s eyes began to well up with tears as he clung to Brian¡¯s neck, and he was pouting, the very picture of a child on the brink of a tantrum. It had been days since Nate hadst savored a candy, and the mere thought was enough to make him restless. Without a word, Brian weighed his options and pulled out his phone to signal the bodyguard ahead to buy some cotton candy. After all, what wouldn¡¯t he do for his little heartbreaker? If Nate wished upon a star, Brian would find a way to pluck it from the sky. As Brian¡¯s gaze wandered away, a familiar silhouette caught his eye. He paused and looked again, but the figure had already turned the corner and vanished. An hourter, Natalie sat in a secluded corner by the window of a third¨Cfloor caf¨¦, her eyes fixed on the After a few minutes of typing, the screen shed a reassuring green signal. King¡¯s voice came through her earpiece. ¡°Good job, it¡¯s done.¡± Natalie looked out the window without expression. Across the street, the sixty¨Cstory Central Building went dark all at once, and the sounds of chaos from inside could be heard even through the ss. She Original content from N?velDrama.Org. had hacked the building¡¯s electrical system. 1/2 18-45 Chapter 4 Mission aplished. Notifications of a two¨Cmillion¨Cdor deposit to her Visa lit up her phone¡¯s screen. ¡°Natalie, what¡¯s up with you today?¡± King asked before hanging up. Usually, Natalie wrapped up these straightforward tasks quickly, but she took a little longer this day, nearly missing the deadline. ¡°Just jeg. I¡¯m feeling a bit dizzy. I¡¯ll be fine after a night¡¯s rest,¡± Natalie replied curtly. ¡°When are you returning?¡± King pressed. Natalie thought of the dinner Samuel had asked her to attend the following day, her lips twisting in distaste. ¡°After I get my degree, I guess. We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°If the Wright family gave you any trouble, let me know immediately. For emergencies, contact Gavin,¡± King added, his voice low with concern before ending the call. Though his words weremanding. Natalie could hear the care in them. King was the only one who¡¯d ever cared for her. If it hadn¡¯t been for him, there might not even be a Natalie today. After the call, Natalie examined the bank card Samuel had given her that afternoon, a silent. sneer crossing her lips before she began typing the card number into herputer¡¯s code. The Wright family¡¯s little entertainmentpany, with a total capital of over a hundred million only, had a financial firewall so pathetic it was almost beneath her to hack. But Natalie¡¯s eyes grew cold when she remembered Samuel and Lydia¡¯s conversation about her as if she were no more than livestock. She would show them what it meant to cross her. It would be her first ¡®gift¡® to them upon her return. Chatper 5 Chatper 5 Chapter 5 The following evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Natalie gracefully entered the River View Hall that Samuel had told her about. She was in a light aquamarine gown, her high heels clicking rhythmically on the marble floor as she sashayed through the door. She paused at the threshold and casually swept over the crowd. She soon spotted Joseph, the General Manager of Samuel¡¯spany, signaling her with a wave. Approaching him with an apologetic smile, she said, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte. Joseph. Traffic was a beast.¡± Joseph waved off her apology with a chuckle as Samuel had asked him to y host to Natalie. Turning to the man beside him, Joseph introduced, ¡°Mr. Foster, this is Miss Natalie Wright. freshly returned from abroad as of yesterday.¡± Shawn Foster, a man in his early thirties who had carved out a name for himself in Streamville thanks to the influence of the Foster family despite his age, gave Natalie a once¨Cover. His initial annoyance at her tardiness vanished when he took in her features. Natalie extended her hand casually. ¡°Pleased to meet you, Mr. Foster.¡± The Foster family had been in talks with the Wright family¡¯spany for a media coboration project. The Wright family wasn¡¯t on par with the Foster family, so what this so¨Ccalled ¡®meet¨Ccute¡® meant was clear to all parties involved. Initially, Shawn hadn¡¯t thought much of Natalie, but he found her charm quite different from years before. She became more elegant, with an air of sophistication. He might not have recognized her if Joseph hadn¡¯t told him this was Natalie.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s been years, Miss Wright. I hardly recognized you,¡± Shawn said with a slight smile, eyeing the hand she offered with an unreadable expression and deliberately not touching it. ¡°Thest time I saw you, you wouldn¡¯t even spare me a dance.¡± Natalie felt a flicker of recognition. She recalled encountering him at a dinner hosted by the Howard family. Audrey had taken her there, and he had asked her to dance, but Natalie had refused. It wasn¡¯t out of arrogance, but she preferred to keep her distance from these men. ¡°Back then, I was quite naive, and I apologize for any embarrassment.¡± Natalie said, taking two sses of wine from a passing server and handing one to him. ¡°Consider this drink a small token of my apology.¡± With that, she tilted her head back and downed the crimson liquid in her ss in a few elegant swallows. Shawn found even the act of her drinking somehow alluring, her slender neck, her delicate jawline. No wonder Brian had failed to refuse her. After finishing her drink, Natalie offered him a polite smile, waiting for him to respond. Looking at her blushing cheeks, Shawn Foster said scornfully. ¡°The Wright family just had a major financial scandal breakst night. Tell me, who would dare to get involved? Do you think a ss of wine can make me want to bail out the Wright family? Dream on. 1/2 Chapter S Natalie recalled she hadn¡¯t asked for any help. She was the one who had leaked the Wright family¡¯s financial scandal hoping to see them in even worse shape. She almostughed at the absurdity but held it back as Joseph¡¯s face turned ashen, and he quickly tried to interject. ¡°Mr. Foster, you misunderstand. Ourpany¡­ Shawn cut him off, raising an eyebrow at Natalie, and said. ¡°I hear Miss Natalie is quite the dancer. See that stage over there with the pole? Go and dance a pole routine. If you entertain me well enough, maybe I¡¯ll consider lending a hand. Of course, that¡¯s if you can make it worth my while.¡± Chatper 6 Chatper 6 Chapter 6 On the surface, tonight¡¯s dinner was an intimate business mixer, a gathering of the localmercial elite. The buzz of conversations at the venue gradually died down as word of Natalie and Shawn¡¯s exchange made its rounds. ¡°Go on, dance.¡± Shawn nudged Natalie with a whisper, seeing her stand motionless. ¡°If your can¡¯t dance, you might as well roll out.¡± A faint, unwavering smile yed on Natalie¡¯s lips as she regarded her adversary, silent. Joseph, beside her, knew the request was unreasonable, but he had managed to set up this meeting with Shawn after great effort. And with the Wright family¡¯s recent scandal, it would spell trouble if Natalie caused a scene. ¡°Miss¡­¡± he prodded, his voice barely above a whisper. Natalie toyed with her empty wine ss, her smile intact, as she locked eyes with Shawn for a few seconds before suddenly reaching out and plucking the half¨Csmoked cigarette from his fingers. ¡°I can dance,¡± she said coolly, ¡°for fifty million. Will you pay?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Shawn hadn¡¯t expected such a retort. ¡°You think you¡¯re worthy of fifty million?¡± The look in Natalie¡¯s eyes turned sharp in an instant. Pinching the cigarette¡¯s end, her hand. pressed it against his thigh. Shawn grunted in pain, reflexively swinging his hand towards Natalie¡¯s face. But as his hand moved, he felt a sudden, searing pain. Natalie had seized his finger, twisted it, and then flipped his hand back at him, her gaze fierce as she subtly arched an eyebrow at him. Feeling humiliated, Shawn scanned the room and, in a fit of anger, pointed at Natalie and hissed. ¡°You bitch! I swear I¡¯ll make the Wright family unable to show their faces in Streamville. Believe it or not!¡± His words were harsh, but Natalie couldn¡¯t help but let a small smile slip through. She hadn¡¯t intended to resort to violence, hoping to endure the evening in deference to her grandfather¡¯s reputation. Samuel might have wanted to use her, but whether to y along was her choice. But Shawn¡¯s barking was too loud, too jarring. Just then, respectful greetings echoed from the entrance. Shawn caught the mention of ¡°Mr. Howard¡± and looked towards the door. With her back to the entrance, Natalie tensed at the name. Brian strolled in and seated himself on a nearby couch, crossing his long legs, listening to the obsequious greetings around him, his gaze fixating on the familiar silhouette in the distance. 1/2 18-44 Chapter 6 He hadn¡¯t been mistaken at the mallst night. It was Natalie. She had returned. She seemed taller and slimmer. Many in the room knew of the history between Brian and Natalie. His sudden appearance charged the atmosphere with tension. Even though Natalie was the woman Brian had cast aside, there had once been connections between Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. them. Shawn paused, sidestepped Natalie, and approached Brian, who hadn¡¯t been invited to this gathering. ¡°Mr. Howard, what brings you here today?¡± Shawn¡¯s demeanor shifted as he offered a buttery smile. Brian withdrew his gaze from Natalie and looked at Shawn, replying coldly, ¡°Is my presence a problem?¡± Brian¡¯s words were brief, but they sent a chill down Shawn¡¯s spine, who hastily replied. ¡°Of course not! Mr. Howard, your presence is an honor for us all!¡± The man before himmanded respect. Pissing him off could mean the downfall of the Foster family with just the flick of his finger. Thest person who had crossed Brian had vanished without a trace, their fate unknown. Brian frowned slightly, apparently disliking Shawn¡¯s obsequiousness. His eyes passed over Shawn¡¯s shoulder, settling once more on Natalie¡¯s slender figure, still turned away from him. After a moment, he parted his thin lips and spoke, ¡°What¡¯s up, Ms. Wright? You don¡¯t recognize me anymore?¡± Chapter 7 Chatper 7 Chatper 7 Chapter 7 Brian¡¯s deep, resonant voice echoed through the silent expanse of the River View Hall, causing a ripple of murmurs among the hushed crowd. Natalie had heard that voice call her name countless times in her dreams, and hearing it in real. life sent shivers cascading across her skin. She had never expected Brian to show up at such a modest gathering, let alone encounter him under these circumstances. Every gaze within the River View Hall shifted to her, and those who hadn¡¯t recognized Natalie at first then realized she was the woman who had nearly brought the prestigious Howard family. to its knees! Wasn¡¯t Brian making her theughingstock of the event by singling out Natalie? Frozen in ce, Natalie took a moment before she turned to meet Brian¡¯s piercing gaze. ¡°Mr. Howard, long time no see.¡± Right after the words left her lips, Brian¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d think twice before trifling with such a woman,¡± he drawled, his lips curling into a sardonic smile that did little to hide his scorn. ¡°unless you fancy a taste of ruin.¡± Natalie¡¯s frame wavered slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line as she remained silent. ¡°Yes, yes! The Wright family insisted on showing up here shamelessly!¡± Shawn chimed in, eager to curry favor with Brian. ¡°I¡¯ll have them thrown out immediately!¡± ¡°Shamelessly?¡± Brian¡¯s eyes narrowed further. Shawn realized toote that he had said something wrong. Brian¡¯s ire was directed solely at Natalie. His grandfather Davis Howard had pointed Gracia to be the Howard family¡¯s future granddaughter¨Cin¨C ¡°No, I mean¡­ Natalie came over asking for fifty million out of the blue! I was just about to send her packing!¡± Shawn stammered, hastily shifting the me onto Natalie. A snort escaped Brian at the absurdity of it all. Fifty million to sell herself out. As Natalie absorbed their insults, her hands clenched at her sides.. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourselves. I can walk out on my own,¡± Natalie said softly. After all, she owed the Howard family, just as Audrey did. She ignored Shawn¡¯s attempt to frame her. Arguing with him was beneath her, a degradation of her status as a human being. Taking her handbag from Joseph, who had been holding it for her, Natalie maintained herposure as she passed by Shawn and headed toward the entrance, brushing past the sofal edge. 18:45 Chapter 7 ¡°Wait.¡± Just as she was about to cross the threshold, a firm hand reached out from behind and seized her wrist. There was only one door in and out of the hall, and with Brian seated near the entrance, there was no avoiding him.. Natalie nced down at Brian¡¯s hand, her heartbeat quickening, yet her face betrayed none of her inner turmoil as she turned to face him. ¡°Did I say you could leave?¡± Brian asked, arching an eyebrow and speaking softly yetmandingly. The pressure on Natalie¡¯s wrist was so forceful it felt as though it might snap. Pain whitened her face, but she bore it silently, meeting his gaze with a defiant sparkle in her eyes. ¡°Brian?¡± At that moment, a melodious voice came from outside the hall. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t we heading back?¡± Natalie instantly recognized the voice, turned around, and saw Gracia standing at the doorway. in a daffodil¨Cyellow cocktail dress. It was a color that few could pull off, but on Gracia, it exuded a yful charm that only highlighted her beauty. Yet, even against the backdrop of Gracia¡¯s allure. Natalie, draped in a sheer gown and with at hint of makeup, held her own¨Cmaking even Gracia, the most sought¨Cafter queen of the entertainment world seem somewhat dimmed inparison. Chapter 8 Chatper 8 Chatper 8 Chapter 8 Gracia and Natalie locked eyes, a hint of surprise flickering in their depths. ¡°Natalie, what are you doing here?¡± Brian¡¯s grip inexplicably loosened, and Natalie subtly withdrew her hand, replying coldly, ¡°Ask your fatherter.¡± With that, she brushed past Gracia¡¯s shoulder, not looking back as she strode out. After Natalie left the River View Hall, she quickened her pace, nearly running away. When Brian rose to his feet, the entrance was deserted. Natalie was long gone. Gracia nced at him and gently took his arm, her voice soft. ¡± Davis and Nate are waiting for us at home. Nate said he wanted to¡­¡± She cut off as Brian withdrew his arm, his expression indifferent. ¡°It¡¯s Without waiting for Gracia¡¯s protest, Brian turned to his aide. ¡°Take Miss Wright back to the family.¡± Gracia¡¯s hand, previously entwined with his, hung in mid¨Cair as she watched Brian walk away without a backward nce toward the elevator. ¡°Miss Wright, please,¡± the aide said, head bowed, careful not to upset her further. Despite her reluctance, Gracia softly conceded. ¡°Okay.¡± It was her twentieth birthday. As she turned away, the aide looked at her downcast face sympathetically, wondering how Mr. Howard could so heartlessly disregard such a pitiable youngdy, especially in front of a bunch of business elites. After all, Gracia was a public darling, and she needed to maintain her dignity. Perhaps only someone as docile as Gracia could tolerate Mr. Howard¡¯s ways. Natalie leaned against a wall as she exited the alley, her heart pounding fiercely. The wine she had earlier was going to her head. She tried to keep her thoughts clear, going over the details of the evening¡¯s events.¡± She walked a few steps along the road, unable to find a taxi, when one of her high heels got stuck in a storm drain. She staggered, catching herself on a nearby tree to prevent a fall. Looking down, Natalie tried to free her leg, but the heel wouldn¡¯t budge. Her foot slipped out of the shoe instead. Muttering a curse, she awkwardly squatted to pull at her shoe. At that moment, a car pulled up beside her with a squeal. Natalie froze, mid¨Ctug, and turned her head to see a Bentley beside her. Shawn in the back seat peered through the window, his teeth clenched as he said in a 1/2 18:46 do Chapter 8 menacing tone. ¡°Fancy seeing you again, Ms. Wright.¡± Natalie hadn¡¯t expected Shawn to follow her so quickly. Without a word, she just gave him a nk stare. Then, flinging off her other shoe, she walked on barefoot. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. A few steps ahead, several figures blocked her path. ¡°Ms. Wright, you are so wild at heart, I wonder if you¡¯re the same in bed?¡± Shawn taunted from his car, following her at a crawl, chuckling lowly. Natalie nced at the men and turned her indifferent gaze back to Shawn, sneering, ¡°Why don¡¯t you drop fifty million to have a try?¡± Behind them, a Maybach quietly braked about fifteen meters away. In the night¡¯s embrace, Brian watched Natalie, who looked like an ethereal mix of innocence and allure. Her earlier words, carried by the wind, reached his ears. Brian¡¯s expression darkened instantly. Chapter 9 Chatper 9 Chatper 9 Chapter 9 Searns & Shown know too well that Natale would do anything for money. A truly virtuous woman wouldn¡¯t have been caught dead at the dinner party they just let. That¡¯s more like it. On the smart ones sure.¡± Sean coded with a smirk ¡°Ms. Wright YOU MUST PRA?DE that your stool has plummeted after Brian Coked you to the curb. Sure. 1 could cough up fifty millor, but that cecents on your performance.¡± Macale¡¯s eves shimmered with a hint of soon as she coldly regarded Shaan, simply listening Seen Natale soil are all high and migro cespite her fall from grace irked Shawn more That he cares admt The encarassment she hat caused in earlier at the cart was a dect he intended to collect with meres. At dort her at Bran hac treated her with cold discair, publicly shaming her that been for Grades trek intervention, on Goc cew what sort of spectacle Tamale Mouche be He was determined to crush Natale and make a grand spectacle to restore his bruised . Reaching out he tree car orer and stretched out his right les burnt by a cigarette our earler, and sneered at Natale. ¡°Come here and lick the blood of my leg.¡± Narale nced at the wound on Shaar¡¯s les illuminated by the streetlights, and then lifted her gece to look eves with him. ¡°Sure¡± she said with a perce smile her voice son Shawn was momentarily spelbound by her smile, utterly captivated by her beauty and figure. Sarefoot. Natale approached Shean with a subry grace, each step a cance of seduction. Recalling now she had previous refused to dance with him. Shawn was almost too excited to St Sil As Natale reached him, she leaned signty forward, grasped his injured leg, and sned it soward the car door in a swift motion! While dragging him out she kicked fercely at him. The can hit Shawn before he could ever scream, and his voice choked in his throat. Natalie leaned in and whispered with a crocked smile. ¡°Soil mart that loc?¡± The driver and booguars inside the car were stunned by the scene unfolding, frozen until Shawn soig¨C like squeals broke ter stupor. They instantly surrounced Natale. Natalie pinched her calm, and the sharp pain brought moments of rity to her spinning head. She sniffed Ighoy and casually nced at the men surrounding her. She hadn¡¯t even started with Shawn, but he had brought trouble to her doorstep. Chapter 9 Hearing it, Shawn knew too well that Natalie would do anything for money. A truly virtuous woman wouldn¡¯t have been caught dead at the dinner party they¡¯d just left. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Only the smart ones survive,¡± Shawn chuckled with a smirk, ¡°Ms. Wright, you must realize that your stock has plummeted after Brian kicked you to the curb. Sure, I could cough up fifty million, but that depends on your¡­ performance.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyes shimmered with a hint of scorn as she coldly regarded Shawn, simply listening to his tirade. Seeing Natalie still acting all high and mighty despite her fall from grace irked Shawn more than he cared to admit. The embarrassment she had caused him earlier at the party was a debt he intended to collect with interest. And it didn¡¯t help that Brian had treated her with cold disdain, publicly shaming her. If it hadn¡¯t been for Gracia¡¯s timely intervention, only God knew what sort of spectacle Natalie would¡¯ve be. He was determined to crush Natalie and make a grand spectacle to restore his bruised ego. Reaching out, he flung the car door open and stretched out his right leg, burnt by a cigarette butt earlier, and sneered at Natalie. ¡°Come here and lick the blood off my leg.¡± Natalie nced at the wound on Shawn¡¯s leg, illuminated by the streetlights, and then lifted her gaze to lock eyes with him. ¡°Sure,¡± she said with a gentle smile, her voice soft. Shawn was momentarily spellbound by her smile, utterly captivated by her beauty and figure. Barefoot, Natalie approached Shawn with a sultry grace, each step a dance of seduction. Recalling how she had previously refused to dance with him, Shawn was almost too excited to sit still. As Natalie reached him, she leaned slightly forward, grasped his injured leg, and snapped it toward the car door in a swift motion! While dragging him out, she kicked fiercely at him. The pain hit Shawn before he could even scream, and his voice choked in his throat. Natalie leaned in and whispered with a crooked smile. ¡°Still want that lick?¡± The driver and bodyguards inside the car were stunned by the scene unfolding, frozen until Shawn¡¯s pig¨Clike squeals broke their stupor. They instantly surrounded Natalie. Natalie pinched her palm, and the sharp pain brought moments of rity to her spinning head. She sniffed lightly and casually nced at the men surrounding her. N?velDrama.Org owns this. She hadn¡¯t even started with Shawn, but he had brought trouble to her doorstep. 18:46 Chapter 9 In the moonlight, chaos reigned. Brian watched her as she dealt with the thugs and walked away, her slender figure retreating into the night. He frowned slightly. How had Natalie, who had only learned basic self¨Cdefense as a child, managed to do this? Shawn was shaking inside the car, barely able to dial for reinforcements on his phone. Before he could unlock the screen, a hand reached into the car and grabbed his wrist, making Shawn jerk in fright. ¡°Mr. Foster, our boss, Mr. Howard, would like to have a word about old times,¡± the man outside said icily. Shawn stumbled to another car and bowed in guilt when he saw Brian. ¡°Mr. Howard.¡± ¡°I hear you want the Wright family out of Streamville?¡± Brian¡¯s tone was casual yet piercing. ¡°No, I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°The tongue¡¯s a useful thing.¡± Brian said and chuckled, ¡°Too bad you won¡¯t need yours anymore.¡± Chatper 10 Chatper 10 Chapter 10 Natalie stumbled as she turned to leave, her footing uncertain. She knew she couldn¡¯t hold on much longer. Her body was burning up. Staggering toward a nearby alley, she fished her cell phone out of her purse and dialed a speed¨Cdial number. In just a few seconds, the call connected. ¡°King¡­ help me!¡± she gasped into the phone, pleading for rescue. Behind her, a sleek ck Maybach silently pulled up at the alley entrance. Brian watched her copse to her knees, calling out a name. ¡ª At the Presidential Suite in the WL Group¡¯s gship hotel, Brian¡¯s expression darkened as he looked upon Natalie, her face flushed red and slipping into semi¨Cconsciousness. And she was still murmuring a man¡¯s name, King. He leaned in close, pinching her delicate chin. The pain jolted Natalie back to a semnce of awareness, and she opened her blear eyes to see the man standing by the bed. The room was dark, with only the moon¡¯s faint glow seeping through the window. ¡°Who¡¯s King?¡± His voice was a demonic whisper, winding around her ears. Confusion flickered through Natalie¡¯s eyes at his question, and her gaze grew hazy. Brian hadn¡¯t seen her for years, and when she came into view, a sharp memory pierced him. Natalie¡¯s breathing was erratic, and she murmured again, ¡°King, I¡­ save me¡­. Brian was about to kiss her, but he froze at the mention of that name. Was she still thinking of another man at a time like this? Suddenly, a frantic knock came from outside. ¡°Mr. Howard! We¡¯ve got trouble!¡°¡± Brian¡¯s gaze was intense as he stared down at Natalie, taking a moment before responding gravely, ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°The young master has gone missing! We¡¯ve searched the entire Howard family and can¡¯t find him!¡± Nate was Brian¡¯s pride and joy. He immediately released Natalie, shrugged on a shirt, and strode to the door, opening it a crack to ask, ¡°When?¡± ¡°After dinner. Mr. Nate was supposed to wait at home for you and Gracia, but after Mr. Davis entertained some guests in the living room and returned upstairs, Mr. Nate was gone!¡± The 1/2 N?velDrama.Org owns this. 18:46: bodyguard replied anxiously. Brian looked back at Natalie, hesitated for a few seconds, buttoned up his shirt, and stepped out. Nate was usually well¨Cbehaved and wouldn¡¯t stray from the Howard family without good. reason. Brain thought of a few ces the boy might be and sped off in his car. As he neared the amusement park, his phone rang with a call from Gracia. Gripping the steering wheel, Brian answered with an irritable and angry tone, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Brian, Nate¡¯s with me. Have you been looking for him?¡± Gracia asked cautiously. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m at Gracia¡¯s ce. Come get me¡­¡± No sooner had Gracia finished speaking than Nate¡¯s childlike voice came through the phone. Hearing Nate¡¯s voice, Brian finally exhaled a sigh of relief, mmed on the brakes, and made a U¨Cturn to head for the Wright family. Chapter 11 Chatper 11 Chatper 11 Chapter 11 Half an hourter, Brian strode into the Wright family estate with a stern face. Nate was in the garden and toddled towards Brian with his chubby legs when he saw Brian approaching. ¡°Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!¡± Hearing Nate call out to him inflicted a feeling in Brian akin to constipation, because he felt a frustration clogging his chest with no outlet for release. ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re not home. Great¨Cgrandpa said¡­ Daddy went to find Mommy.¡± Nate mumbled as he burrowed into Brian¡¯s embrace,tching onto one of his legs. His big doe eyes were misty with tears, stumbling over his words in a rush to exin. Nate was missing his mom. So, when Davis casually mentioned that Brian had gone to find her. Nate took it to heart, waiting and waiting until the sky darkened and he grew sleepy, but Brian had still note home. He couldn¡¯t wait to see his mom. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Gracia followed Nate, careful not to let him fall, and approached Brian to exin softly, ¡°The maid saw Nate wandering alone by the base of our garden wall. I don¡¯t know how he got here.¡± Brian looked down at the little rascal. He was three years old and already plotting escapes. How impressive. However, hearing Nate mention ¡°Mommy,¡± he ultimately held back his anger, bent down, and scooped up Nate with one arm. Gracia nced at Brian as if sensing his intention to leave and softly suggested, ¡°Nate just fell asleep. Why don¡¯t you let him spend the night here?¡± Brian exchanged a look with Gracia, his expression indifferent as he replied. ¡°No need. He¡¯s picky about where he sleeps.¡± Nate quickly piped up. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± ¡°Sleepy and running away from home!¡± Brian gave his little bottom a firm pat. ¡°Running away¡­ from home?¡± Nate looked confused, not understanding what Brian meant. Brian couldn¡¯t fathom how, with Nate¡¯s limited intellect, the boy managed to travel a dozen miles to the Wright family on his own. Asking for an exnation would be futile. With Nate¡¯s limited vocabry, they¡¯d be at it until dawn without rity. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± he said in a low voice, brooking no argument. Nate nced back at Gracia, who had just told him to help her convince Brian to stay. promising to show him a picture of his mommy if he did. Nate tilted his little head, pondering for a while, then wrapped his arms around Brian¡¯s neck. ¡°Daddy. Nate doesn¡¯t mind new beds. Gracia smells nice. I¡¯ll sleep with Gracia.¡± Brian¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. What? His three¨Cyear¨Cold son had already loved to stay. beauties. That was remarkable indeed. Gracia was inwardly anxious, but hearing Nate¡¯s words, she softly added, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t have sses tomorrow, and I¡¯m free from filming and appearances for a while.¡± Brian looked up at her, catching the subtext in her words, Gracia was ambitious, and he knew that well. Two major movie roles a year, courtesy of Davis, made her the envy of the entertainment Industry. No other female star her age had leading men ying second fiddle to her, yet she was still not satisfied. Brian wouldn¡¯t have tolerated her presence If it weren¡¯t for her otherwisepliant and sensible nature. After some silence, he murmured, ¡°The financial issues at the Wright family are under control. Grandpa will handle it.¡± Gracia felt a weight lift off her chest, realizing that the Howard family was already dealing with the Wright family¡¯s financial scandal. BrightWright Entertainment relied on her as its face, with the neers not yet making a mark. It was crucial to avoid any mishaps. The pressure on her was immense. As she breathed a sigh of rellet, Brian turned and walked away, clearly not intending to stay the night. Suddenly, Gracia remembered something else and hurried after him, calling. ¡°Brian, it¡¯s sote¡­¡± The near¨Cmiss with Nate had already soured Brian¡¯s mood, and Gracia¡¯s uncharacteristic clinginess only added to his irritation. He turned, giving her a hard look, and pulled a small, elegant box from his pocket, tossing it into her arms. ¡°Almost forgot. It¡¯s for you.¡± With that, he left the Wright family with Nate in his arms, not looking back. Gracia barely caught the box, and Brian had already driven off when she secured it. ¡°What did he give you?¡± Lydia emerged from behind, immediately taking the box from her hands and opening it to peek inside. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Lydia gasped in awe. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chatper 12 Chatper 12 Chapter 12 Gracia watched it as Brian¡¯s car taillights vanished around the corner before she reluctantly turned away. She nced at the box that housed a giant, six or seven¨Ccarat pink diamond and frowned in annoyance. What she wanted wasn¡¯t a wless diamond but Brian. ¡°I told you Brian wouldn¡¯t forget your gift. He must have just slipped up!¡± Lydia eximed beside her, thrilled. It was Gracia¡¯s twentieth birthday, and Brian had graced her party with his presence, a significant social coup for her. After having a few cocktails, she¡¯d hoped to get closer to him in the buzz of the celebration. But then Natalie had appeared. ¡°So what? He¡¯s probably rushing off to Natalie now!¡± Graciained irritably. The forgotten birthday gift seemed like a minor oversightpared to the evening¡¯s debacle. What was there to be happy about? Even a diamond worth millions of dors couldn¡¯t mask the sting of humiliation that hit her harder than a p in the face. One hourter, Brian cradled the sleeping Nate in his arms at the hotel, frowning at the empty room before him. ¡°I just went down to the garage to grab a medicine, and she¡¯s gone,¡± the family doctor said, shrugging helplessly. ¡°The surveince footage?¡± Brian asked in a low voice. ¡°The footage from before and after she vanished got hacked. We couldn¡¯t find anything.¡± at bodyguard replied, his voice trembling. ¡°Useless!¡± Brian growled. A person couldn¡¯t just disappear into thin air. Suddenly, he remembered Natalie had made a distress call to someone right before the incident. That person had rescued her. He was curious to know who dared to help her secretly. His aura was terrifyingly low as he carried Nate downstairs, followed by a silent entourage. Just as he got into the car, Reid, sitting in the front, looked back at Brian hesitantly. ¡°Spit it out,¡± Brian snapped, his brow furrowed. ¡°Mr. Howard, we¡¯ve got something.¡± ¡°The techniques used to hack the WL Center Building match those of an overseas hacker 1/2 18:46 Chapter 12 known as ¡®FireWing.¡® It¡¯s almost certainly him!¡± ¡°Find him.¡± Brian ordered after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°Offer ten times the usual rate.¡± The WL Center Building¡¯s firewall was among the most advanced globally, never before breached. But this ¡®FireWing¡® had hacked their system in minutes, causing a security breach. If the enemy employed FireWing using such despicable tactics, he would find FireWing and fight fire with fire. Reid added, ¡°We¡¯ve also received word that FireWing might make a deal at The Aerie recently. His visa card was used there ten minutes ago.¡± Brian¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and he replied softly. ¡°Head there now.¡± The Aerie was Streamville¡¯s most elite club, where the wealthy and influential mingled. Yet, few knew that the owner of The Aerie was the heir to the Moore family, Max Moore, who was also Natalie¡¯s mentor. Moments ago, Natalie awoke with a splitting headache, her mind emerging from chaos. Seeing her stir, a servant from The Aerie expressed surprise, ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°How did I get here?¡± Natalie looked around, pressing her temples as she spoke softly. Chapter 13 Chapter 13N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Chatper 13 Chatper 13 Chapter 13 ¡°Mr. Gavin brought you here, miss. The drug effect has been neutralized, and the prescription you requested for Mr. Matthew is ready to be picked up whenever you¡¯d like.¡± the servant replied with the utmost respect. ¡°Hmm,¡± Natalie acknowledged. She had called King before she passed out, so it must be King who had arranged for Gavin to bring her over. She took a moment to gather herself, then threw back the covers and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, massaging her forehead as she inquired, ¡°Where¡¯s Max?¡± ¡°Max is not at The Aerie today,¡± the servant answered. Natalie nodded in understanding. Max¡¯s whereabouts were always a mystery, and she didn¡¯t bother to ask further. Taking the medicine from the servant, she asked, ¡°How much do I owe for this?¡± ¡°Max said there¡¯s no charge.¡± Natalie chuckled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s keep things professional. It¡¯s for the Wright family, not for my personal use.¡± She pulled an overseas credit card out from her purse and handed it to the servant, saying, ¡°Go ahead and charge whatever the cost is. I¡¯ll exin to Maxter.¡± After she changed into fresh clothes, her phone suddenly lit up with a video call request. It was from King. He usually didn¡¯t video call her directly unless it was Nina.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Thinking of Nina¡¯s adorable face softened Natalie¡¯s expression, and she epted the call. ¡°Dear Natalie,¡± the sweet voice sang out as the screen showed a cherubic face with pigtail braids pressing close, eyes full of worry. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Nina¡¯s features were strikingly simr to Natalie¡¯s. ¡°Watch your manners,¡± Natalie gently chided, her gaze filled with affection. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Tell. King that I thank him for having Gavin help out.¡± ¡°When are you returning?¡± Nina pressed, her voiceced with a hint of sadness. ¡°I miss you.¡± ¡°Sweetie, I¡¯ll be back once I wrap things up here. Be good and listen to King while I¡¯m away.¡± Mid¨C conversation, Natalie nced at the time. It was past nine at night in Bluestar Country. ¡°It¡¯s bedtime. No more phone for you tonight,¡± Natalie advised softly, and with some reluctance, Nina ended the call. The servant returned with her card just in time. Dressed anew, Natalie took medicine for Matthew and walked through the bustling crowd. 1/2 At five in the morning. The Aerie was still packed, with peopleing and going constantly. An auction was underway on stage in the dim and suggestive lighting. Natalie nced at the stage without much interest, but as she turned away, she caught sight of Brian at the entrance about to enter. Surrounded by a crowd, he carried himself with a distinguished air. Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly averted her gaze. Why did Brian show up at The Aerie all of a sudden? With Brian in the spotlight and herself in the shadows. Natalie retreated to a spot where the light failed to reach, stealing nces in his direction. Brian sat near the VIP section, seemingly unaware of her presence. Natalie dared not let her guard down and was about to exit through an alternate route when she identally bumped into someone. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± the man raised his voice in annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Natalie immediately apologized, bowing her head. ¡°Forget it,¡± another man by his side muttered. ¡°Brian¡¯s waiting. Let¡¯s not waste time.¡± Upon hearing Brian¡¯s name, Natalie acted more apologetically, continuing her apologies with her head down. ¡°What rotten luck,¡± the man grumbled as they moved away, allowing Natalie to breathe a sigh of relief. Brian noticed themotion in a corner not too far away, his gaze sweeping over the area. The two men involved were there to meet him, and he recognized them instantly. His eyes then fell on the tall woman apologizing profusely. Even in a simple coat and jeans, she stood out. Brian frowned, something about her silhouette striking a familiar chord. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chatper 14 Chatper 14 Chapter 14 ¡°Mr. Howard, the FireWing deal went down on that register over there.¡± Brian¡¯s assistant Reid gestured toward a checkout machine nearby, whispering to Brian, who was standing close. Brian nced at the machine and then looked back in the direction where Natalie had been, only to find she had disappeared. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Two men approached Brian and sat beside him, inquiring. ¡°Nothing.¡± Brian replied after a moment, his gaze returning to the present. He was probably overthinking it. Why would Natalie be in a ce like The Aerie? It was an upscale club with high standards for its patrons. She couldn¡¯t afford to get in, even if she wanted to. When Natalie slipped out through a different exit, she looked back several times to ensure she wasn¡¯t followed before she sighed with relief. In a secluded spot, she quickly changed into another outfit. The day had brightened as she stepped out onto the bustling streets, hailing a cab without hesitation. ¡°Where to?¡± the cab driver asked. Natalie nced at the medication for Matthew in her hand and said, ¡°Heavenly Pastries, please.¡± Heavenly Pastries was a renowned bakery in Streamville, famous for its morning delights. Matthew was particrly fond of the food here. And as luck would have it, she was on her way to pick some up for him. The bakery was always bustling, busy from dawn until noon. When Natalie arrived, the ce was packed. ¡°Could you please wait outside for a bit? We¡¯ll have your pizza ready to go shortly,¡± the server said apologetically. With time to spare, Natalie found a spot near the entrance and sat down there, a few seats away from the waiting others. The day was overcast and drizzly, with raindrops dancing in the wind and speckling Natalie¡¯s clothes. A car pulled up before Heavenly Pastries, and a woman, meticulously dressed and sheltered under a clear umbre, stepped out. She frowned, clearly annoyed by the rain. ¡°Mr. Howard mentioned he¡¯d being for lunch today. He¡¯s quite fond of the pastries here, so we should have some set aside for him,¡± the Wright family¡¯s servant mentioned softly to Gracia, 1/2 18:46 Chapter 14 who was visibly displeased. ¡°It¡¯s more meaningful when you select them personally.¡± Gracia nodded grimly and, upon raising her eyes, locked gazes with Natalie, who was sitting in the corner. After a brief stare¨Coff, Gracia contemptuously smirked and turned away as if she hadn¡¯t seen Natalie addressing the waiting manager. ¡°You have a table upstairs, right?¡± ¡°Of course, of course! Ms. Wright, just two minutes, please,¡± the manager replied, nodding eagerly. A server brought over the packaged pizza Natalie had ordered. ¡°Your order is ready. Pleasee to the register to pay.¡± Natalie stood and walked to the counter, pulling a hundred¨Cdor bill and two fifties from her purse and handing them to the cashier. ¡°You¡¯re short twenty,¡± the server said. Gracia watched and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. Natalie didn¡¯t even have a full two hundred in her purse. How pitiful. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Embarrassed, the servant was about to step forward to cover the difference for Natalie when Gracia stopped him with a gesture. Ignoring the scene, Natalie continued to rummage through her bag and pulled out a ten¨Cdor bill with a handful of change, cing it on the counter. She hadn¡¯t had the chance to set up a bank ount since her return from Bluestar. The money was what King had stuffed in her bag before she left. After spending some, all she had left was the small changes. The server counted the money and handed over the pizza to Natalie. As Natalie reached out to take them, Gracia knocked the paper bag to the ground subtly. Not far away, Reid was stepping out of a car to buy a box of pastries when he caught sight of Natalie and Gracia at the bakery¡¯s entrance. He paused for a second and turned to look at Brian in the car. L Chatper 15 Chatper 15 Chapter 15 It just happened that they¡¯d been waiting for ages at The Aerie, hoping to catch a glimpse of the clusive FireWing, but to no avail. They nned to swing by the Wright family for lunch, so Brian had instructed him to pick up a couple of boxes of pastries from here. ¡°Mr. Howard, would you like¡­¡± Brian¡¯s gaze settled on Natalie, and he fell silent in the car. Natalie¡¯s paper bag had been knocked from her hands, and as she looked up, her eyes flicked toward Gracia, who had pretended to be engrossed in her phone, feigning ignorance. ¡°Pick it up.¡± Natalie said in a low voice, devoid of emotion. Instead, Gracia stepped on the pizza, kicking it aside. ¡°I said pick it up, not step on it.¡± Natalie continued, her voice still low. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Gracia acted surprised, pointing at herself and asking softly. ¡°I¡¯m talking to a dog.¡± Natalie replied coldly. ¡°You¡­¡± Gracia was stunned, and then anger red within her. ¡°Only a dog would get upset by that.¡± Natalie said, the corners of her mouth curling into a slight smirk. ¡°Natalie, don¡¯t push it!¡± Gracia snapped back, and her brows knitted in frustration. Seeing the altercation, the shop assistant quickly tried to mediate. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It was our mistake for not handing it to the customer properly. Let me repack it for you!! Natalie wasn¡¯t interested in acknowledging Gracia¡¯s pettiness and nodded to the assistant. ¡°Thanks.¡± But Gracia, who got irked by Natalie¡¯s indifference, insisted. ¡°I¡¯d like to see who dares to repack it for her!¡± The assistant stood by, not daring to move. ¡°What kind of skill is that by picking on a shop assistant?¡± Natalie turned to Gracia. ¡°If they don¡¯t want to repack it, that¡¯s fine. You can pick up the pizza. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Otherwise, what?¡± Gracia raised her eyebrows slightly, challenging Natalie. ¡°I want to see how much clout you have,¡± Gracia thought inwardly. ¡°Otherwise, you won¡¯t enjoy your lunch today.¡± As Natalie spoke, she pulled out her phone and dialed 911. ¡°Let¡¯s deal with this at the police station. I¡¯m not bothered. But for you, Gracia, with your big reputation¡­¡± Onlookers began to murmur, some recognizing Gracia. 18:47 Chapter 15 Gracia nced around, and when she saw Natalie¡¯s finger hovering over the call button, she quickly grabbed her hand. Turning to the assistant, shemanded sternly. ¡°Are you blind? Repack a new one, now!¡± Minutester, Natalie left the shop, content with her freshly packed pizza, ignoring Gracia, whose face had turned a shade of thunder. She hailed a cab at the curb. Brian watched her get into the cab, his emotions swirling. Natalie seemed different than before. As Natalie approached the Wright family¡¯s front door, her phone buzzed with a message from King. (They¡¯ve upped their offer to twenty times the original. Do you want to take it?] Her reply was brief. [No deal.] As she pocketed her phone, she overheard the gardeners talking about Matthew coughing up blood the night before. He had terminal lung cancer, and it was beyond help. Every day alive was a gift. Without a word, she slipped through the back door and walked toward the smaller building at the back of the estate. Just as she was about to knock, she overheard Samuel¡¯s voice from inside, ¡°You know, the Foster family is one of the most esteemed in Streamville. With our Wright family¡¯s standing. Natalie could never hope to marry up! To put it bluntly, after the Howard family threw her out and the scandal that followed, who in the Streamville elite doesn¡¯t know about it? And yet, she has the nerve tond the Foster family¡¯s son in the hospital! Thankfully, they¡¯re now interested in Gracia because of her connection to the Howard family. If Natalie married into the Foster family, they would let it go.¡± Natalie¡¯s hand, which raised to knock, froze mid¨Cair. Chapter 16 Chapter 16N?velDrama.Org owns this. Chatper 16 Chatper 16 Chapter 16 Matthew coughed a few times, his voice gruff with a rasp. ¡°Samuel, have you ever considered that she¡¯s your daughter too? You knew what kind of woman Audrey was, yet you let her take Natalie to the Howard family. This mess is on you as a father, not Natalie¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°My fault? Did you not see how Natalie used to bully Gracia when they were kids at home? Keeping her here would be unfair to Gracia and Lydia!¡± Matthew coughed again, more violently this time, as if something got stuck in his throat. Ignoring the tension, Natalie pushed the door open so forcefully that it banged against the wall. The sudden noise startled everyone inside. Samuel stood up, ready to explode in anger, but he swallowed his words when he saw Natalie walking in with an icy expression. Natalie treated him like he was invisible, walked straight to Matthew¡¯s bedside, and put the medicine on the nightstand. ¡°I just picked up these meds from a friend. Combined with the ones I brought from abroad yesterday, they should work better. Grandpa, try taking them in a bit,¡± Natalie said softly. noticing a stark red stain on the handkerchief Matthew was clutching. ¡°Since when do you have friends abroad?¡± Samuel couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Is that any of your business?¡± Natalie turned her head, her cold gaze sweeping over Samuel. Matthew was in such pain, coughing up blood, and Samuel could still say such heartless things in front of him. What a loving son! ¡°Natalie, you¡­¡± Samuel¡¯s brows knotted in frustration. ¡°Also, about how Shawn insulted the Wright familyst night, Mr. Wright, you can ask Joseph yourself. If you think Shawn is so great, fine, let Gracia marry him instead, or you can marry him yourself.¡± Natalie said sneeringly, cutting him off. Samuel¡¯s face turned red with anger. ¡°What kind of talk is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I prefer not to pick through leftovers in a trash heap,¡± Natalie replied coldly. Then, turning back to Matthew, she said, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t worry. When the timees, I¡¯ll bring a decent gentleman home to meet you. Just focus on getting better and stop getting angry over my affairs.¡± Matthew sighed deeply, looking at Natalie. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I should have been more careful in understanding people¡¯s true characters.¡± Ever since the debacle with the Howard family, Natalie¡¯s future had be a constant worry for Matthew. With his recent diagnosis ofte¨Cstage lung cancer, his anxiety had only increased, prompting him to urge Natalie to return home and meet potential suitors. He knew that Natalie would lose herst support once he was gone, and that thought. 1/2 19 tormented him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Grandpa. It¡¯s not your fault. You can¡¯t always judge a book by its cover,¡± Natalie said with a reassuring smile, then poured him a ss of water, opened a box of medicine, and tenderly helped him take it. Samuel might as well have been a ghost in the room for all the attention Natalie gave him. After a few minutes. Matthew¡¯s cough began to subside. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. She had spent much effort to get this medicine. Matthew¡¯s days numbered, and Natalie hoped to lessen his suffering as much as possible while he was still alive. After she tidied up the medicines, Natalie turned to Samuel and said icily. ¡°Since my presence in the Wright family seems to difort you all, I¡¯ll move out. Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t have to suffer the sight of me just as much as I¡¯d rather not see any of you. ¡°Natalie, but you have no means of financial support¡­ How will you manage on your own?¡± Matthew asked with concern when he heard her n. ¡°I¡¯ve been acting on and off while attending the Film Academy. The roles weren¡¯t big, but they paid. I have some savings.¡± Natalie assured him softly. After saying her goodbyes to Matthew, Natalie returned to her room. Working under the same roof with them had always been inconvenient, and it was only a matter of time before they noticed something was up. Today¡¯s events offered the perfect chance to leave, which suited everyone. She didn¡¯t have much to pack, which made leaving easier. As Natalie sorted through her clothes, her phone rang with an unfamiliar number. ¨C Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ncing at the caller ID, Natalie stood up and double¨Clocked her bedroom door. ¡°Feeling any better?¡± came the concerned voice over the phone. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Natalie replied curtly as she packed her clothes into her suitcase. ¡°I was careless this time. But did you find out how I ended up at that hotel?¡± ¡°No traces left by the other party, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Gavin admitted with a hint of defeat. His tone shifted suddenly, ¡°Where are you now? You didn¡¯t return to the so¨Ccalled ¡®home¡® of yours, did you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Gavin¡¯s voice shot up with urgency at her indifferent response. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before that your dad¡¯s behavior is out of line. He even turns a blind eye to that scumbag. Shawn! How can you even stand to stay there? Move out ande stay at my ce.¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. Etiquette, you know, and you¡¯re a public figure.¡± Natalie said, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. ¡°But yeah, I am looking to move out. Could you get a realtor to find a nice apartment for me? I¡¯m looking to rent.¡± ¡°You sure you want to rent, not buy?¡± Gavin chuckled on the other end. Before Natalie could answer, amotion outside her door caught her attention. ¡°Hold that thought,¡± she said quickly, hanging up the phone. She opened her door to see Gracia. clutching a box, her face etched with panic. ¡°Nobody but the cleaner had entered your room today, Ms. Gracia.¡± The servant, Piper, was pale as she stared at the broken contents of the box. Gracia¡¯s eyes were rimmed red as she bit her lip and sobbed, handing the box to Lydia, who had just rushed over. Lydia¡¯s face fell as she examined the contents. ¡°This is the emerald bracelet gifted by the Howard family. Davis said it¡¯s been passed down for generations! Piper, who else has been on the third floor N?velDrama.Org owns this. today?¡± ¡°Just the cleaning staff and me this morning. And that item was in Ms. Gracia¡¯s drawer. We would never touch it!¡± Piper insisted defensively. Leaning against the doorframe, Natalie watched the Wright family descend into chaos. After hearing Piper¡¯s ount, Samuel nced over at Natalie. She and Gracia were the only ones living on the third floor. Feeling all eyes on her, Natalie raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Sorry, but I just came up five minutes ago.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t you, then who?¡± Gracia pleaded, and her cheeks flushed with distress. ¡°Natalie, I 1/2 Chatper 17 Chatper 17 Chapter 17 know you¡¯re mad that Brian chose me over you, but it¡¯s not my fault he doesn¡¯t like you! The value of that bracelet is immeasurable. What if the Howard family mes us? How can we afford it?¡± In just a few sentences, the responsibility for the shattered bracelet had been squarely ced on Natalie¡¯s shoulders. Natalie frowned in annoyance. ¡°You have such a spiteful heart!¡± Lydia stormed up to Natalie, pointing usingly. ¡°Because you couldn¡¯t have Brian, you want to drag our whole family down? You¡¯re just like your mother! A seductress, a homewrecker!¡± As Lydia¡¯s usations flew, Natalie¡¯s expression grew colder. That woman, her mother, was indeed no saint, caring only for her pleasure, even at the cost of abandoning her daughter. Natalie couldn¡¯t deny that. She was silent for a few seconds before looking directly at Samuel and saying softly, ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t break it.¡± ¡°I just came up five minutes ago and finished a phone call. Maybe the bracelet was already broken.¡± ¡°It was intactst night! I cleaned it before going to bed!¡± Gracia interjected hastily. Natalie turned her gaze to Gracia, silent for a moment. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Gracia appeared kind and sensible to the world, but Natalie had learned from a young age that appearances could be deceiving. Chatper 18 Chatper 18 Chapter 18 Natalie took a few seconds to think, her expression betraying no sign of panic, as she stared straight at Gracia and asked softly. ¡°You said you polished the bracelet justst night before you went to sleep?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gracia sniffled, responding with a tone of injury. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but derisively chuckle, waving her smartphone at the others and saying. ¡°That¡¯s what Gracia imed. Got it all on record.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of if she¡¯s telling the truth?¡± Lydia was utterly baffled. Natalie sneered, ignoring Lydia, and pointed toward the staircase where there was a security camera. ¡°This house is under surveince 24/7, right?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Lydia snapped back icily. They only had a camera at the staircase. It couldn¡¯t capture the N?velDrama.Org owns this. hallway here. Lydia and Gracia had prearranged their story, confident in the absence of evidence, allowing them to smear Natalie. Natalie went straight to the servant and requested the surveince footage from twenty minutes earlier. She fast¨Cforwarded the timeline and paused at the frame where she was ascending the stairs, showing it to Samuel. Holding back his rage, Samuel asked. ¡°And? Your point?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te homest night, as everyone is well aware, right?¡± Natalie asked Samuel a faint smile ying on her lips. ¡°How dare you!¡± Samuel¡¯s face grew darker. He was about to confront Natalie about where she went after leavingst night¡¯s dinner party. The Foster family hade over, making a scene all night until dawn! It was the cause of Matthew¡¯s furious outburst! ¡°So, fromst night until a moment ago, I only came upstairs this once.¡± Natalie continued. ¡°And, before I came up, my dear sister was already in her room, right? And she would know whether I went in there, right?¡± Samuel hesitated before turning to look at Gracia. ¡°I¡­¡± Gracia was flustered. Neither she nor Lydia had considered these details. And they thought they could easily use Natalie if they didn¡¯t have cameras in the hallway! ¡°Tell me. Did I enter your room just now?¡± Natalie¡¯s gaze became piercing as she stared down Gracia and demanded an answer. Gracia was cornered, speechless, as ayer of cold sweat formed on her forehead. N Chapter 18 ¡°Piper, when you came earlier, did you see me in Ms. Gracia¡¯s room?¡± Natalie turned to question Piper, who stood to the side. ¡°L¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Piper avoided Natalie¡¯s eyes, her voice small. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Well, I do.¡± With that, Natalie turned and returned to her room, picking up herptop from the bed andunching a hidden program, a built¨Cin surveince system on her The footage showed Natalie entering her room, sitting on the bed to organize her luggage, and making phone calls the entire time.. The timestamp on Natalie¡¯s room camera matched perfectly with the corridor surveince. After reviewing both pieces of evidence, Samuel was speechless. The answer was clear Gracia had framed Natalie! ¡°Gracia!¡± Samuel¡¯s face turned a shade of thunderous blue as he red at Gracia standing behind him, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡± ¡°Do you realize how important this bracelet is? It¡¯s the Howard family¡¯s most treasured heirloom and Tawanna Howard¡¯s most precious legacy! You were supposed to wear it to Nate¡¯s birthday party at the Howard mansion in a few days! How am I supposed to exin this to the Howard family?!¡± Gracia thought there would be no hitches if she and Piper insisted it was Natalie¡¯s doing. But she had never considered that Natalie¡¯sputer would be monitoring everything! ¡°Dad¡­¡± Gracia panicked. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stammered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I lied. I don¡¯t know when the bracelet broke. I thought Natalie did it out of jealousy, so I jumped to conclusions and med her.¡± Chatper 19 Chatper 19 Chapter 19 ¡°I messed up this time. I owe her an apology!¡± Gracia said with tears in her eyes. ¡°An apology won¡¯t cut it.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips curled into a faint, cold smirk as she nced at Gracia. She¡¯d seen enough of Gracia¡¯s slick¨Ctalking since they were kids to know what to expect. The bracelet was broken anyway, and she would love to see how they would exin it to the Howard family. Lydia and Gracia were like two folks who shot themselves in the foot ¨C absolutely absurd. ¡°Maybe I should call the Howard family on behalf of my dear sister, trying to smooth things over?¡± Natalie hooked her mouth in a sardonic smile at Gracia and whispered. ¡°After all, it¡¯s just a bracelet. Mr. Howard could give you something worth a fortune without a second thought, so this little trinket is no big deal, right?¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are to call the Howard family?¡± Lydia snapped, her face red with anger and embarrassment. ¡°Well, then, this has nothing to do with me.¡± Natalie said as she waved her phone at them. ¡°I¡¯ve recorded everything. Don¡¯t try to pin this on meter.¡± With that, she turned and stormed back to her room, mming the door with a definitive click. Samuel withdrew his gaze from the scene and looked at Lydia and Gracia, his face as dark as thunder. The Howard family had made it clear that they wanted Gracia to wear the bracelet to Nate¡¯s birthday party to show everyone that she was the future Mrs. Howard they¡¯d chosen. It was a disaster! He couldn¡¯t exin this to the Howard family anyway! Just then, the servant rushed in, his voice a hushed urgency. ¡°Mr. Howard has arrived!¡± Gracia¡¯s face turned ghostly pale, and she clutched Lydia¡¯s arm in panic. ¡°Mom, what do we do? Brian¡¯s going to be furious.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re worried? Why didn¡¯t you think before you acted?¡± Samuel pointed at Gracia with a stern voice. ¡°Figure out your story before youe downstairs!¡± With that, Samuel stormed off to meet Brian, trying to contain his rage. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. The bracelet incident just happened. Brian can¡¯t possibly know yet,¡± Lydia consoled Gracia, ncing at Natalie¡¯s closed door. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Just insist that Natalie is to me, and everything will be fine.¡± Gracia¡¯s eyes lit up. Indeed, Brian would never confront Natalie! In the living room, Brian was already seated on the couch. 18:47 Chapter 19 Samuel sat beside him, visibly uneasy, his palms sweating profusely. Brian emanated an aura so intense that even without speaking, everyone around could feel the enormous pressure. His indifferent gaze swept toward the stairs, and Samuel, misconstruing his look as waiting for Gracia, hastily buttered him up, ¡°Gracia is just changing her clothes. She¡¯ll be down in a moment.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Brian responded nomittally. After a pause, he asked, ¡°When did Natalie return?¡± Thinking Brian was upset about Natalie returning home without notice, Samuel quickly exined, ¡°She came back the day before yesterday! Her grandpa has been ill and wanted to see Natalie, so¡­¡± ¡°Wasst night¡¯s dinner with the Foster family also Matthew¡¯s idea?¡± Brian asked coolly, his eyes piercing Samuel with an intimidating force. ¡°That¡­¡± Samuel broke out in a cold sweat, unable to gauge Brian¡¯s intent and at a loss for words. Chatper 20 Chatper 20 Chapter 20 Amid his hesitation, a yful voice suddenly echoed down the staircase. It was Gracia, her tone bubbling with excitement, ¡°Brian, you made it!¡± Samuel inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stood up, saying, ¡°Gracia, perfect timing. Keep Brianpany for a bit, will you?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Gracia nodded and sat beside Brian. She had overheard from upstairs Brian¡¯s interrogation of Natalie upstairs. Had he agreed toe for dinner because of that little tramp? She pondered for a moment before gently tugging at Brian¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Brian. I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I broke the bracelet Davis gave me¡­¡± It was justst month that Davis had personally given Gracia the bracelet. ¡°What happened?¡± Brian frowned involuntarily. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was fine before Natalie returned, but the next thing I knew was it was broken¡­¡± Gracia¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, and she sobbed quietly to Brian, looking utterly distraught. ¡°If Davis gets mad at me. I¡­¡± She hesitated mid¨Csentence, her eyes pleading for understanding from Brian. Brian held her gaze silently. Before he could speak, Samuel¡¯s disgruntled voice floated down the stairs. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°I thought you wanted me out? I¡¯ve found a ce.¡± Natalie retorted coldly, descending the stairs. with her suitcase. ¡°Just stay at home. No need to move out,¡± Samuel¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Home? This house has nothing to do with me aside from Grandpa. Do you even know what ¡®home¡® means?¡± Natalie scoffed. Samuel¡¯splexion shifted through several shades of displeasure before he blurted out the truth, ¡°When Shawn gets out of the hospital, the Foster family will throw you an engagement party. You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± ¡°Did I agree to that?¡± Natalie asked softly. ¡°Natalie, you know your ce. It¡¯s your good fortune that the Foster family is interested in you!¡± Samuel pointed at her angrily. ¡°And what does that have to do with you?¡± Natalie curled her lips dismissively and countered. ¡°The court awarded my custody to Audrey back then.¡± ¡°And has Audrey given a damn about you these years?¡± Natalie¡¯s expression grew cold. ¡°Whether she does or not, it¡¯s none of your business!¡± With that said Natalie no longer wished to engage with Samuel. She hastened down thest 1/2 N?velDrama.Org owns this. Chapter 20 few steps and went toward the living room. However, she paused momentarily upon seeing the two seated closely in the living room. Brian¡¯s gaze dropped to the suitcase in her hand. Natalie hadn¡¯t realized Brian was there when she was upstairs packing. Their eyes met briefly before she nced at Gracia, who was still tearfully sniffling beside him. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips in disdain. Then she quickened her pace, heading for the front door. Gracia noticed Brian had fixed his attention on Natalie, seemingly oblivious to her presence. She tugged gently at his arm again, her voice pitiful, ¡°Brian, about the bracelet¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a bracelet,¡± Brian replied indifferently, withdrawing his gaze. ¡°But¡­¡± Gracia dabbed at her tears, wanting to say more.. ¡°I¡¯ve got some things to take care of. I won¡¯t be staying for dinner today,¡± Brian interrupted her before she could continue, standing up. Gracia was stunned and then got up to follow. ¡°But I went to Heavenly Pastries myself this morning to get the pastries for you, and Mom went out early to buy your favorite dishes. You see¡­¡± Brian nced at the finelyid pastries on the table, feeling no appetite. ¡°I don¡¯t like pastries,¡± he said tly. Gracia was puzzled. She had seen him frequent Heavenly Pastries for the pastries before, and she had even seen him enjoy them. Why the sudden change of heart? ¡°Then what do you like? We can go and get it right now! Brian, are you upset with me?¡± Gracia followed him, her voice tinged with uncertainty. ¡°About Nate¡¯s birthday, I¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa invited you. Of course, you¡¯ll be there,¡± Brian cut her off, pausing his steps to nce back at Gracia with a furrowed brow. Gracia sighed with relief, not daring to question Brian further. She escorted him to the door and watched him get into his car. ¡°Mr. Howard, something¡¯s off,¡± Reid reported when Brian settled in, handing him a tablet with a somber tone. Chapter 21 Chatper 21 Chatper 21 Chapter 21 Brian nced up, taking in the scene with a few quick sweeps of his eyes. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. There it was, zing across the homepage. It was the news about Gracia bullying a junior employee at Heavenly Pastries, reigning over the trending charts in the number one spot. ¡°In just over thirty minutes, it¡¯s hit the top, and the buzz is still climbing!¡± Reid murmured to him. casually clicking on a video linked to the news article. In the video, Gracia was imperious, a stark contrast to the demure image she usually cultivated. Gracia had always been under the wings of the powerful Wright and Howard families. Any negative press swiftly quashed, earning her the affectionate moniker of ¡°National Sweetheart.¡± But because negativements were a rarity, Gracia¡¯s two¨Cfaced actions caught her fans off guard, causing such an intense stir that the word ¡°crash¡± appeared next to the server status. ¡°Deal with it,¡± Brian ordered, frowning after a brief look. Davis wouldn¡¯t want to see this sort of thing. ¡°But we can¡¯t this time! The PR department jumped on it when it broke, but the servers were almost blowing up. They¡¯re upgrading the servers as we speak. It¡¯s going to take some time to fix this,¡± Reid replied, feeling a cold sweat as he braced himself for Brian¡¯s reaction. After a pause, Reid ventured, ¡°Could it be a hacker attack?¡± Brian¡¯s gaze followed Natalie as she strode onto the main road and fell silent for a few seconds. ¡°Find out,¡± he finally said. He watched as Natalie climbed into a Ferrari parked by the curb. The Ferrari wasn¡¯t hers. No wonder she looked down on the Foster family. She hadn¡¯t changed a bit all these years, still willing to forsake her dignity for money. Reid had also noticed Natalie, turned back, and discreetly gauged Brian¡¯s mood before asking softly, ¡°Mr. Howard, should we¡­?¡± ¡°Follow her,¡± said Brian, his expression growing darker. Natalie settled into the Ferrari, giving the man in the driver¡¯s seat a yful look. ¡°Why so free today?¡± ¡°King insisted I take good care of you. He said if you were missing even a strand of hair, it¡¯d be my head on the line. How could I not listen?¡± Gavin replied with self¨Cdeprecating humor. ¡°I¡¯ve rented a luxury bachelor pad for you. It had a private elevator, an exclusive residency with 1/2 1ANIA Chapter 21 all high¨Cprofile neighbors, and the most advanced security system. It¡¯s usually quiet. But we can always find something else if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Natalie¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile at the mention of King. ¡°When are you heading back?¡± Gavin asked, ncing at her. ¡°Depends on how my grandfather is doing.¡± Natalie replied thoughtfully. ¡°King and Nina must miss you terribly.¡± Gavin raised an eyebrow. Natalie fell silent. Gavin always teased her about her rtionship with King, but deep down, she knew better than anyone that what she shared with King was familial, nothing more. Gavin dropped her off at the apartment building and handed her the ess card before attempting to apany her upstairs. ¡°No need. With your special profile, it¡¯s easy to recognize you. I can manage on my own.¡± Natalie stopped him. She went up with her luggage, swiped the card to enter her apartment, and discovered that the ce was spotlessly clean, with all the essentials neatly arranged. Gavin had been quite thorough. Exhausted, she dropped her bags and went to the bathroom to freshen up. As she stepped out of the bathroom, drying her hair, she moved toward theptop on the bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure sitting on the living room sofa. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chatper 22 Chatper 22 Chapter 22 Natalie jerked to her feet, her gaze snapping to the source of her shock. Brian sat motionlessly in the dim light, holding a silent, steady stare with Natalie, his eyes an Original content from N?velDrama.Org. unfathomable deep. ¡°You¡­¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of Brian¡¯s sudden appearance. She was sure she had locked the door behind her! ¡°Didn¡¯t you check before moving in that this apartmentplex is under the WL Group?¡± Brian snorted derisively. ¡°Or did you do it on purpose?¡± Natalie was left speechless by Brian¡¯s insinuations. If she had known this apartment belonged to Brian, she wouldn¡¯t have set foot in it, not even if her life depended on it! ¡°Did you intentionally break the bracelet?¡± Seeing her stunned face, a hint of mockery flitted across his eyes. Natalie hadn¡¯t expected Gracia to be so shameless. Knowing that Natalie had recorded evidence in her possession, Gracia still aimed to pin the me on her. After a few seconds of silence, Natalie collected herself and responded coldly. ¡°I have no ideal what you¡¯re talking about. Mr. Howard, if you find my presence here bothersome, I¡¯ll move out tomorrow.¡± With that, she walked casually to the door, swung it open, and said to Brian, ¡°But since I¡¯ve rented this ce, I rightfully have control over this room. Please leave immediately, Mr. Howard, or I¡¯ll have no choice but to call the police.¡± Before she could finish, Brian rose to his feet, closing the distance between them. ¡°When did you get to know Gavin?¡± His hand reached out, forcing her chin up to meet his gaze. He leaned in, and Natalie instinctively stepped back until she was pinned against the wall trapped in his embrace. Brian had seen her with Gavin. Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She hadn¡¯t expected Brian to be tailing her.¡± ¡°Who I know is none of your business,¡± she retorted, her tone stiff. Brian¡¯s gaze bore into her with an almost palpable intensity. The submissive Natalie of the past, who wouldn¡¯t dare defy him, had grown bold, even defiant. He tilted his head down, the space between them shrinking, and Natalie instinctively turned her face away. But Brian¡¯s other hand mmed the door shut, and he tightened his grip on her chin, forcing her to look at him. The light behind cast his face in shadow. Natalie struggled against his strength, but as she did, she caught sight of his pupils dting 1/2 18:48 Chapter 22 rapidly. ¡°Natalie, go ahead and call the cops. See if they dare to take the case. Or, perhaps you¡¯d like to take the fall for Audrey?¡± His words, ground out between clenched teeth, sent a chill down Natalie¡¯s spine. It was like that day years ago when he had grabbed her by the throat andmanded her to leave the Howard family. The pain in her jaw was so intense that she felt it might shatter. It hurt so much that she struggled to hold back tears, her eyes stinging with the effort. She bit her lip, stubbornly meeting his gaze, saying nothing. As Brian watched her fight back her misery, his irritation inexplicably grew. Ovee, he bent down and bit her soft pink lips. Chapter 23 Chatper 23 Chatper 23 hapter 23 Brian gripped her with a ferocity that seemed to scream hatred. Natalie tried to break free, but he pinned her effortlessly against the wall. In just a few seconds, she tasted the faint. sweetness mixed with the metallic tang of blood between her teeth. Her face went pale. Fragments of that night years ago shed through Natalie¡¯s mind. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. As a young girl, whenever she looked up to Brian, she couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about the tenderness he might show if he ever kissed her. She couldn¡¯t deny that she had harbored a cautious affection for him, never daring to reveal a trace of it to anyone else. She knew she shouldn¡¯t fall for him, fearing that if he ever found out, he would cast her out. Brian had been the light of Natalie¡¯s life. He was someone she loved to her core. But Brian would never be gentle with her. Never. She knew he had always hated her. He hated how Audrey had shattered his parents¡® marriage and hated her by extension. Audrey leaving with a stash of cash only intensified his disdain. Brian didn¡¯t realize Natalie had been crying until he tasted the salty bitterness of her tears. He let her go. Natalie looked into his eyes and saw nothing but indifference. After a moment, she spoke softly, ¡°I will pay back the debt Audrey owes you. And for the record, I had nothing to do with her schemes four years ago.¡± She was willing to make amends for Audrey¡¯s wrongdoings but would not admit to faults that weren¡¯t hers. Brian¡¯s face twisted into a sneer when she brought up the past, mocking her in a soft voice. ¡°How will you pay me back? With the help of Shawn, Gavin? Or some other man?¡± He didn¡¯t need to see who was in the car. He just had to check the lease agreement for the apartment. ¡°How I pay you back is my business,¡± Natalie said, cleaning her tears, her voice devoid of emotion. She no longer cared about his insults. After all, the year he threw her belongings out of the Howard mansion and let the rumors in Streamville run wild, he had already crushed her dignity underfoot. She looked at him and said firmly, ¡°I told you I¡¯d pay you back, and I will.¡± With that, she turned and unlocked the door. Brian couldn¡¯t help but let out a scoff. But in the end, he said nothing more and stormed out, mming the door behind him. 1040 Chapter 23 Right after he left, Natalie quickly locked the door behind her. She headed back to the bathroom to shower again. She scrubbed herself over and over, at least a dozen times. When she looked at her body, her mind was haunted by the memory of him looking at her with those disgusted eyes, saying, ¡°Natalie, you¡¯re truly despicable!¡± Yet, his eyes were full of tenderness when he looked at Gracia. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chatper 24 Chatper 24 Chapter 24 Meanwhile, a tiny cheer came from behind the desk at the Howard residence. ¡°Got it!¡± Nate¡¯s small figure almost went unseen in front of the 32¨Cinch curvedputer monitor in the study. The contrast between his expertise in working on theputer and his childlike features was striking. Nate had once seen a picture in Brian¡¯s safe, a small ID photo of a pretty, clean¨Ccut girl in a school uniform. But he had never met this girl among the people he knew. With Brian out, Nate had finally cracked the password to his father¡¯sputer, and in a locked photo album, he found more pictures of the mysterious girl. ¡°Holy moly¡­¡± he gasped in amazement. His eyes widened as he scrutinized the woman¡¯s face. on the screen. Nate had a hunch that this girl might be his mom, despite what people said about him being the son of the disliked Ms. Harris. He didn¡¯t feel like he looked anything like Ms. Harris. And he hated the term ¡°bastard¡°. It sounded like an insult. ¡°Nate?¡± Brian¡¯s voice suddenly called from outside the door. Startled and not nearly done with the photos, Nate¡¯s legs trembled as he quickly shut down the album and scampered to the door,tching onto Brian¡¯s leg with a puppy¨Clike eagerness. Brian nced at the still¨Clitputer screen and frowned. Since Nate started thinking for himself, he has shown an exceptional understanding and capability with electronics. Though he was ate talker, his reading skills had surpassed his peers. He skipped learning phonics altogether and went straight to recognizing words. So, working aputer was no big deal for Nate. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to touch theputer in the study?¡± Brian asked sternly, his voice dropping. It was rare for Brian to be this harsh with Nate, leaving the boy flustered. ¡°Da, Daddy,¡± he began, but his mouth hung open, unable to finish. ¡°Take Nate to bed,¡± Brian said, his gaze softening as he looked at Nate¡¯s sad little face. He whispered to the nanny behind him. His temper, which had reached a boiling point, subsided somewhat at the sight of his son¡¯s woeful expression. Nate looked back at Brian several times, his heart sinking as the nanny pulled him into his room, too scared to call out for his father again. 1/2 Chapter 24 The study was off¨Climits to Nate. Apart from Brian himself, no one else was allowed in. After Nate disappeared into his room, Brian turned and closed the study door with a definitive thud. Only the crystal globe with the carousel Inside, ced in the ss cab, glowed faintly in the darkness. Brian walked up to the cab slowly, staring intently at the globe. The phone in his pocket vibrated, a subtle sound in the silence. Just before the caller hung up, Brian pressed the answer button and held the phone to his ear. ¡°Mr. Howard, we¡¯ve got a response from FireWing!¡± Reid¡¯s voice was tinged with excitement on the other end of the line. Brian quickly logged onto the hacker forum. FireWing had sent a message, which read. [Your request.] N?velDrama.Org owns this. Brian considered his words, [Encrypted files on the CEO¡¯sputer at JoyCorp.] FireWing replied, [JoyCorp? So, you know I was the one who breached your WL Center Building firewall for JoyCorp, and now youe to me. I¡¯m sorry, but we have our principles. I can get you encrypted files from anypany except JoyCorp.] Brian retorted, [Name your price. Twenty times is just a starting point.] After sending the message, Brian realized he had been deleted by the other party, no longer a contact. He frowned, staring at the now¨Coffline avatar of FireWing. This hacker was interesting. Millions of dors didn¡¯t seem to tempt him. Behind him, Reid said softly, ¡°Mr. Howard, our tracking indicates that a signal suspected to be FireWing¡¯s was present at Prestige Penthouses for a few seconds. FireWing might be in the country right now.¡± Prestige Penthouses was where Natalie was living. Chatper 25 Chatper 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 There were over a thousand households at Prestige Penthouses. ¡°Exact IP address?¡± asked Brain. ¡°So far¡­ untraceable.¡± Reid hung his head, his palms slick with a thin sheen of sweat. They had hired several top¨Cnotch hackers, confident that they could track down FireWing within the two¨Cminute chat window they had. Yet, they had underestimated FireWing. Brian thought for a few seconds before saying, ¡°Keep looking.¡± They had to find FireWing who could breach WL Center Building¡¯s firewall with ease. Too dangerous to be left unchecked, FireWing had to be recruited. The next day, at Global Entertainment Group. ¡°What¡¯s your name? And what time is your audition with Director Miller?¡± asked the receptionist at Global Entertainment without looking up. To the receptionist of thergest entertainmentpany in the world, women like Natalie were a dime a dozen. They who sold themselves were throwing themselves at their doorstep, hoping for a chance at stardom. Natalie carefully pulled out a letter of rmendation from her bag and ced it in front of the receptionist. It was a handwritten note from her mentor Martin. Despite notnding any mai roles due to the low eptance of foreigners, Natalie was still his pride and joy. ¡°My name¡¯s Natalie Wright. This is a letter from Director Martin, who is acquainted with Mr. Miller. He¡¯s already given me a heads¨Cup toe in today.¡± Natalie exined calmly. The receptionist nced up at her, ¡°Director Martin? Never heard of him.¡± While saying this, she continued with her other tasks. Natalie remained silent, patiently waiting for the receptionist to finish up. At that moment, the entrance bustled with activity. Natalie nced over and spotted the center of attention. It was Gracia, the darling of the stars. Although Gracia only had a working rtionship with Global Entertainment, the Howard family. being the main investors, meant that everyone in thepany treated Gracia with the utmost respect. As soon as Natalie recognized Gracia, she averted her gaze not to interact with her at that moment. But while Natalie tried to keep to herself, Gracia had already spotted her. Gracia, already angry at that Original content from N?velDrama.Org. trending scandal, got more irritated at the sight of Natalie. Gracia¡¯s manager noticed the change in her expression and followed Gracia¡¯s gaze to the tall, striking beauty that was Natalie, mistaking her for some minor celebrity with a past grudge 1/2 16.497 Chapter 25 against Gracia. With a sneer, the manager said, ¡°All these nobodies trying to squeeze into Global Entertainment Group, a bunch of temptresses, no doubt all here for Mr. Howard.¡± It wasmon knowledge that Brian, renowned as a national husband, had only invested in one entertainmentpany, that was, Global Entertainment. These little vixens only had a chance to meet Brian by working at Global Entertainment. ¡°Too bad Mr. Howard only has eyes for our Gracia,¡± the manager said, ncing at the pink diamond ne Gracia wore. ¡°Mr. Howard never repeats a gift for Gracia.¡± Everyone had already noticed the ne. With Gracia¡¯s dress having a rather low neckline and being pure white, it made the pink diamond stand out even more. Just stepping out, Gracia wore a pink diamond worth at least ten million. The favor of Howard. family and Brian for Gracia was in for all to see, leaving others green with envy. Gracia just stared in Natalie¡¯s direction, smiling subtly, ¡°It¡¯s not as exaggerated as all that.¡± Gracia resented Brian¡¯s impersonal gestures of gifting her with presents and money. But without those luxuries, she was no different from the other girls out there. And there was no difference between her and Natalie. As she spoke, Gracia slowly made her way over to Natalie, stopping just a few steps away. Chatper 26 Chatper 26 Chapter 26 Natalie nced at the pink diamond adorning her neck, her expression as serene as ever, without uttering a single word. The receptionist, sensing an awkward vibe, quickly chimed in, ¡°Gracia, thisdy is referred by a director from abroad for an audition. If she¡¯s not to your liking¡­¡± ¡°Referred for an audition?¡± Gracia couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips into a faint smirk. ¡°Some no¨Cname international college dares to send candidates to yourpany? And who knows what they traded for this rmendation? Has Global Entertainment Group¡¯s bar dropped this low? Isn¡¯t that embarrassing?¡± she articted softly. With that, she took the rmendation letter from the receptionist, crumpled it methodically, and tossed it into the nearest wastebasket. ¡°In my opinion, there is a shortage of ces to clean the toilet. Why don¡¯t I help introduce it?¡± The staff didn¡¯t know how they provoked Gracia, who had always been good¨Cnatured. Guess she was in a bad mood because of the badments that suddenly appeared on the hot search, so they were too scared to say a word and didn¡¯t dare to stop. ¡°If good looks were all it took to act, wouldn¡¯t that be unfair to the truly talented?¡± Gracia then turned to the few staff nearby, her voice still soft. ¡°Yes, of course!¡± the staff members hurriedly agreed. Gracia allowed a small smile to grace her lips, peering through the crowd at Natalie with a look of challenge that only Natalie could decipher. Natalie met her gaze indifferently, watching Gracia walk gracefully toward the distant elevator, a silent chuckle escaping her lips. She then turned and made her way to a secluded corner, approaching an elevator that required fingerprint ess. She pressed her finger to the scanner and hit the button to go up. As soon as she stepped inside, the elevator¡¯s screen lit up. Gavin¡¯s fave appeared on the screen, ¡°Natalie, what brings you here? Why didn¡¯t you give me a heads¨Cup?¡± ¡°I just wanted to run a scene with Mr. Miller and y a bit part, nothing major,¡± Natalie sighed, responding. ¡°But your receptionist wouldn¡¯t let me see Mr. Miller, and Gracia tore up my rmendation letter.¡± Gavin frowned, knowing full well that if King, the head of Global Entertainment, found out Natalie had been slighted, there would be hell to pay! Natalie, one of the five shadow stakeholders behind Global Entertainment, was being turned away at herpany¡¯s door. If word got out, it would be aughingstock! Although Natalie had never visited Global Entertainment Group before, she had personally spent a month designing the code for thepany¡¯s unique and state¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cart security system. She knew the building¡¯syout better than anyone. To show his gratitude, the Chairman of Global Entertainment Group had given her stocks worth nearly a billion dors at the time, securing her position as one of the top five stakeholders. And Gavin? He was the Chairman¡¯s very own son. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just dropped my name?¡± Gavin first gave her a mild reproach. ¡°A bit yer with ties to the CEO? Guess how the media would specte about our rtionship if that got out,¡± Natalie countered with an unchanging expression. Gavin paused, impressed. She was a top¨Ctier hacker with a mind that worked faster than most. ¡°I just want to y an ordinary small part in the production, something a little more than an extra,¡± Natalie continued calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it right away,¡± Gavin replied with an easy grin. ¡°Hold on,¡± Natalie said as he started to leave, stopping him in his tracks, ¡°There are two more things.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chatper 27 Chatper 27 Chapter 27 ¡°Go ahead. Even if you want the moon, I¡¯d find a way to etch your name on it!¡± Gavin shot back without hesitation. Natalie was long ustomed to Gavin¡¯s smooth¨Ctalking and paid him no mind, countering with her question, ¡°Does Gracia have a deal with your studiotely?¡± ¡°Actually, she took a role in a y a couple of days ago. And she bumped the leadingdy we had lined up,¡± Gavin pondered briefly before adding, ¡°The biggest investors of ourpany, the Howard family, insisted on having her as the lead. She¡¯s bringing a cool twenty millica to the table, and the executives have given it the green light.¡± How mboyant! Natalie listened to his exnation and couldn¡¯t help but curl the corner of her mouth into a sneer. ¡°What if I wanted to kick her out?¡± she asked softly after a brief pause. She didn¡¯t understand why the Howard family would favor Gracia. After all, Samuel was Audrey¡¯s ex¨C husband. They had no reason to help the Wright family. Unless Brian had taken a personal interest in Gracia. That was the only exnation. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Gavin blinked, taken aback by her question. Natalie and Gavin locked eyes for a moment before she responded with silence. Memories began to resurface. Brian had once saved Gracia. Maybe that was when their affection for each other started. For Brian to do something extravagant for Gracia wouldn¡¯t be surprising at all. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± she asked with a faint smile. Although Gavin wasn¡¯t fully aware of the history between Natalie and the Howard family, he had heard a thing or two about Natalie¡¯s ties to them. Moreover, just earlier, Gracia had humiliated Natalie in the agreed without further hesitation. ¡°Thanks,¡± Natalie replied instantly. F F There¡¯s another thing. I want to liquidate my shares in Global Entertainment Group and¡­¡± She was cut off mid¨Csentence by a knock on the door. ¡°Mr. Howard has arrived,¡± Gavin¡¯s secretary informed him in a hushed voice from outside. Gavin instinctively nced back at Natalie, raising an eyebrow, ¡°If you¡¯d told me you wereing Original content from N?velDrama.Org. today, you might have avoided this run¨Cin with the Howard family.¡± Through the frosted ss door, Natalie could see vague silhouettes of people and faintly heard Brian¡¯s voice seeping through. ¡°Sorry Mr. Howard, our president will be with you in a few minutes. He¡¯s currently with a guest.¡± Brian, expressionless, nced towards Gavin¡¯s office. The blinds in Gavin¡¯s office were usually left open. As Brian approached, he had overheard Natalie¡¯s voice. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll wait.¡± = 0 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 Hearing Brian say this, the crowd around him stood on the edge, not daring to take half a step. Natalie looked in his direction, remaining silent. A hush fell both inside and outside the office. ¡°Maybe¡­ I¡¯ll head to the meeting room with them first, and you can find a chance to slip out,¡± Gavin suggested in a low voice after a few seconds. ¡°Walk me out,¡± Natalie said calmly. She and Gavin were friends. Being seen together wasn¡¯t an issue. If Brian misunderstood, that was his problem. Surprised, Gavin respected Natalie¡¯s decision and said nothing more. He donned his coat and opened the door to walk out with her. With her head slightly lowered, Natalie acted as if Brian didn¡¯t exist, passing by the crowd without a sideways nce and heading straight for the elevator. ¡°Gavin, aren¡¯t you going to introduce me?¡± Brian¡¯s voice cut through the air, his gaze fixed on Gavin¡¯s disheveled coat. ¡°Just a friend, recently back from abroad,¡± Gavin replied with an awkward smile, trying to be nonchnt. Chatper 28 Chatper 28 Chapter 28 Natalie¡¯s identity as a hacker was so unique that she couldn¡¯t afford to slip up. She was a silent shareholder in thepany, a secret known only to Gavin and his father. Brian couldn¡¯t help but let out a snicker, tilting his head slightly as he looked towards Natalie. ¡°I heard a little rumor, Ms. Wright is about to get engaged to the eldest son of the Foster family, am I right? Don¡¯t you know anything about avoiding conflicts of interest?¡± His words stung more than a p to the face. Natalie stood still for a moment, then turned to lock eyes with Brian, her voice cold as ice, ¡°Thank you for the heads¨Cup, Mr. Howard. But I trust everyone here is a close ally of Gavin and wouldn¡¯t indulge in baseless gossip.¡± With that, she said to Gavin, ¡°No need to see me out. I can find my way.¡± Gavin watched silently as Natalie stepped into the elevator. When he turned back, his gaze met Brian¡¯s, chilling and intense. After a tense moment, Brian stood up and walked into the adjacent conference room. Gavin followed, overhearing Brian¡¯s soft remark, ¡°You¡¯d do well to weigh your worth before you mess around with some women¡­¡± Gavin was speechless. Natalie met with Mr. Miller, who had been briefed by Gavin to secure her a role after a three¨Cminute audition. ¡°Just leave your home address and phone number on theputer, and I¡¯ll arrange a local agent for you. They¡¯ll be in touch soon,¡± Mr. Miller said, gesturing to a tablet as Natalie prepared to leave. Without suspicion, Natalie quickly filled out her information and left. Passing by another office, she overheard a snide voice through the slightly ajar door, ¡°¡­Gracia, don¡¯t Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. be upset. Those low¨Css women are only fit to serve you! And with Mr. Howarding here today, it¡¯s for your movie! I must say, your biggest w is not recognizing your talent.¡± ¡°Brian is here for me,¡± Gracia replied with a hint of arrogant pride. After a pause, she added with a sneer, ¡°That woman¡­ forget it, she¡¯s not even fit to serve me, just trash to be swept out the door. I¡¯m above squabbling with her. I just find her pitiable.¡± ¡°Why not pick a role you hate for her? One where you can p her in a scene? It¡¯ll make you look generous and give you a chance to vent,¡± her agent suggested. Gracia chuckled lightly, ¡°That¡¯s a clever idea.¡± ¡°But I think scrubbing toilets would suit her better.¡± Natalie paused in the corridor, listening to their words andughing silently to herself. It seemed that Brian wascking in his appreciation. Just then, a staff member rushed by, clutching a document. Bursting into the room, he announced, ¡°Gracia, I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t sign this lead contract with you!¡± ¡°What kind of joke is this?¡± Gracia thought it was a prank, not taking it seriously. ¡°It¡¯s true. The higher¨Cups have decided to terminate all your current contracts.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Gracia stood up abruptly from the couch, asking, ¡°How is this possible? Any reason given? Does Brian know about this?¡± Chatper 29 Chatper 29 Chapter 29 The staff whispered back, ¡°Only a bit part really, not clear on the details. All I know is it might have something to do with the trending topics these past few days¡­¡± ¡°A bunch of losers!¡± Gracia retorted, delivering a resounding p across her agent¡¯s face, ¡°Five million can¡¯t fix it, then what about- ten million? Is scrubbing from the trending list that hard?!¡± She had been resting for nearly two months now, not a single script hade her way. Among the rising young starlets, she was the only one with such a gaping hole in her schedule! Rumors were swirling that Brian was done with her. With all sorts of gossip and insinuations, even whispers implying that she had a penchant for seducing directors, the Howard family looked down on her as dirty. The rumors were detailed and damaging. Finally, she had gotten her hands on a script from a high¨Cprofile director, a chance to make her mark. If this opportunity slipped through her fingers, the consequences could be dire! ¡°The server at Twitter is acting up or something. They couldn¡¯t pull it off and the five million was refunded. It¡¯s not like we didn¡¯tmunicate well enough!¡± Her agent stammered, clutching his reddened face. ¡°And it¡¯s been three days¡­¡± For three days, the tide of public opinion had turned irreversibly negative. Through the slightly open door, Natalie caught a glimpse of Gracia in her frenzied state, then turned away to pull out her phone and head for the elevator. As long as she was at Global Entertainment, Gracia could kiss any lead roles goodbye. Natalie intended to keep her word. Quickly scrolling through her contacts, she was about to message King when he beat her to it, [Did you ace the audition?] [Of course.] Natalie paused, then shot back, [Was the trending topic on Gracia your doing?]. King¡¯s disdain for the Wright family was even stronger than hers. He couldn¡¯t bear to see Natalie slighted in the slightest. After a while, King¡¯s profile picture dimmed, signing off. His silence was all the confirmation Natalie needed. ¡°Huh?¡± Just as she was about to step into the elevator, a child¡¯s voice caught her attention from behind. Turning around, Natalie locked eyes with a pair of innocent and clear orbs. She recognized him almost instantly. It was Brian¡¯s son. The boy looked so much like Brian, as if cast from the same mold. His face was a perfect echo of Brian¡¯s from the time they first met over a decade ago. Unexpectedly, Natalie¡¯s heart raced. She didn¡¯t understand her reaction. As the elevator doors opened, she dashed inside, as if fleeing. Nate wriggled free from his bodyguard¡¯s arms and hit the ground running, his little feet carrying him toward Natalie. But it was a step toote. ¡°So simr!¡± Nate thought, ¡°Thedy I just saw and the one in Daddy¡¯s photo album seemed to be the Original content from N?velDrama.Org. same person!¡± Stationed in front of the closed elevator doors, Nate murmured to himself, a mix of confusion and hope on his face, ¡°Lady¡­. Mommy¡­¡± Could she be Mommy? Or just ady Daddy liked? The very next morning, Natalie¡¯s phone rang with a call from her agent, inviting her to dinner with some executives from the productionpany that evening. Gavin was expected to attend, along with several leading actors. Natalie immediately agreed, got herself ready ahead of time, and met up with her agent. Her agent was a sprightly young woman in her mid¨Ctwenties with a sweet appearance and a no¨C nonsense attitude. Her name was Rosie, cute and fitting. It seemed Gavin had chosen Rosie with care for Natalie. ¡°Your room¡¯s 1800. Here¡¯s your keycard,¡± Rosie said, digging it out of her bag and slipping it into Natalie¡¯s, detailing the itinerary with meticulous attention. ¡°I have an emergency tonight. You¡¯ll be okay on your own, right?¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Natalie replied. She wasn¡¯t new to the game and knew how to navigate conversations with producers and fellow cast members. Chatper 30 Chatper 30 Chapter 30 As Rosie ushered her into the dining area, several actors had already arrived. Rosie made quick introductions. Sensing a harmonious vibe, she hurried off to her next engagement. Natalie found herself a secluded spot at the corner table and struck up a polite conversation with the lead actress and her co¨Cstar. The lead actress was the new darling of the local film scene, and Natalie, having seen her on a popr TV show, chatted with her a bit longer The supporting actress watched the exchange with a hardening gaze. When the production team arrived, Gavin was still missing, apparently held up by some matter, so the group didn¡¯t wait for him. The main producer hadn¡¯t been seated long before he noticed Natalie. Natalie sat quietly, her beauty arresting, reminiscent of a painting. ¡°I haven¡¯t met thisdy before.¡± At his mention, Natalie stood up with a ss of juice in hand, greeting the producer politely, ¡°I¡¯m Natalie Wright. I¡¯ve been studying abroad and don¡¯t have much acting experience. Mr. Miller gave me the thumbs¨Cup after an audition a couple of days ago. I¡¯ll be counting on your patience and guidance.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Miller just mentioned you yesterday,¡± the producer replied with a warm smile, standing up and approaching Natalie. Natalie, slightly ttered, scooted her chair back, inadvertently tangling her dress hem with the chair leg. The producer advanced to assist with her dress. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve got it!¡± Natalie smoothly avoided his touch, maintaining herposure. Just then, two soft knocks sounded at the door. Everyone turned to see Gracia, standing by the doorway with a beaming smile. She first greeted the production team, and then her eyes fell on Natalie, her smile freezing in ce. Gracia had chosen this evening for her ¡°coincident¡± encounter with a well¨Cknown producer, not expecting Natalie to be haunting the ce as well. In the dim light of the hallway, a tall man with a brooding expression stood, his gaze fixed on the producer¡¯s hand entwined with Natalie¡¯s. ¡°Mr. Howard, Gracia, what a coincidence!¡± The main producer spotted Brian and immediately released Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Natalie¡¯s hand, moving respectfully toward the door. Brian was silent, his cold stare locked on Natalie. To him, it seemed Natalie threw herself at any man avable. Was she that desperate? Natalie hadn¡¯t expected to run into these two here. After a moment of hesitation, she looked down to avoid Brian¡¯s gaze, silently sitting back down and straightening her dress. She had worn a midi skirt to the venue, but Rosie insisted thepany¡¯s policy required artists to wear formal attire, so she had changed into a long gown. She should have insisted on keeping her original outfit. With her head bowed, Natalie could still feel Brian¡¯s intense gaze, a fineyer of sweat forming in her palms. By the door, Gracia had stiffened her smile, while Brian remained silent, giving her no acknowledgment. ¡°Brian isn¡¯t feeling well today, so we¡¯ll be leaving now,¡± Gracia said to the producer, her voice still cheerful. The pair had just reached the main entrance when Brian suddenly said in a low voice, ¡°You go ahead.¡± ¡°But you have an international flight tomorrow morning, you should go back and rest,¡± Gracia hesitated, then cautiously wrapped her arm around Brian¡¯s, cooing softly. She knew why Brian wanted her to leave/first. It was because of Natalie. Chatper 31 Chatper 31 Chapter 31 She couldn¡¯t fathom what was so special about Natalie. Audrey had racked up a mountain of debt with the Howard family. Despite the family¡¯s outright disdain for both Audrey and Natalie, Brian kept showing Natalie mercy! But Brian withdrew his arm, replying coldly, ¡°Stay at home until the heat from those nastyments online dies down. You don¡¯t want the media making a meal out of it. Head back, will you?¡± ¡°1.¡± Gracia was at a loss for words, watching as Brian turned and reentered the hotel. Gracia was still fuming from yesterday¡¯s debacle. Gavin had given Brian the excuse that with Gracia¡¯s reputation plummeting after the trending scandal, casting her as the lead in the decade¨Cin¨Cthe¨Cmaking blockbuster of Global Entertainment Group would be a financial bloodbath. Besides, it was Davis who had snagged that opportunity for Gracia, not Brian. He seemed utterly disinterested in the matter. Ever since Natalie¡¯s return, Brian seemed progressively more indifferent to Gracia¡¯s affairs. Gracia thought to herself, ¡°I had to take action and reel Brian back to me like before.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you know how Nataliended that role? She was a nobody before, so how does she walk straight into a third lead role the minute she joins thepany? Don¡¯t you find that odd?¡± An actress whispered. ¡°Maybe because she¡¯s pretty. Plus, she studied abroad.¡± Another actress echoed. ¡°That¡¯s not it at all. She¡¯s the president¡¯s pick under Mr. Miller¡¯s wing! And just yesterday, she was in the president¡¯s office with him alone for nearly an hour! And at the dinner earlier, she seemed to be flirting with the producer, right?¡± Brian, passing by the restroom, saw the two lead actresses from the dinner party whispering to each other as they walked past him. For a moment, he had been bewitched into thinking that Natalie might need saving. But it seemed she was the one doing the seducing. After removing her makeup, Natalie slipped into a hotel bathrobe and checked her phone for the message King had sent. [Do you need money?] N?velDrama.Org owns this. Natalie pondered briefly before replying, [No] [Check the hacker forum] King shot back. These past few days had been hectic, and Natalie hadn¡¯t visited the forum. King¡¯s message suggested something was up, so she hopped onto ¡°DealDynamics.¡± ¡°DealDynamics,¡± ostensibly a legitimate international second¨Chand trading site, was in reality a nexus for hackers worldwide. The lingo was all insider talk, cryptic to anyone outside the field. She scrolled briefly and stumbled upon a trending post about herself. ¡°FireWing snagged a big contract from apetitor. Who¡¯s dealing with this?¡± Beze FREE Z DE FOSS FO & SEFF Natalie frowned and skimmed the post. It was filled with envious jabs from lesser talents, bitter about her meteoric rise. She had be an overnight sensation in the hacking world after creating a nearly invulnerable security code sequence for a firewall system, a code no one had yet cracked. Truth be told, King¡¯s security firm had originally developed the code with significant ws. Hired by King, Natalie had rapidly patched those holes and crafted a new program capable of counterattacking any viruses that tried to breach it. In essence, her defensive program could shield any system and protect itself from other hackers¡® attacks. Only she and King knew the specific code. This innovation had skyrocketed her reputation, with most clients specifically requesting FireWing. Coding was mentally exhausting, and Natalie only epted a few contracts per month, with the highest bidder winning her services. As a result, she¡¯d be a target for envy in her field, save for those few masters who stayed hidden above the fray. ¡°Which of you saw¡­¡± She began typing a response but then thought better of it and deleted it. Arguing with these green¨Ceyed monsters was just a waste of her time. This trouble stemmed from that contract, the one that paid twenty times the going rate. ¡°It¡¯s that twentyfold contract causing the stir. I decided not to take it and returned the deposit,¡± she voiced to King as she stepped out of the bathroom, just as the door behind her creaked. Chapter 31 ¡°Gavin?¡± she called out instinctively, ¡°Come in.¡± Chatper 32 Chatper 32 Chapter 32 Gavin had said he¡¯d swing by, so Natalie left her door unlocked. She waited with a sense of ease untii the prolonged silence behind her sparked a nerve. Something felt off. She turned around, only to catch Brian leaning casually against the wall, his gaze fixed on her with an unreadable expression. Despite bracing herself for any encounter with him, Natalie couldn¡¯t help but shiver, instinctively taking a step back. ¡°Disappointed for my presence?¡± Brian¡¯s voice cut through the tension,ced with a hint of mockery as his lips parted in a faint sneer. Natalie couldn¡¯t recall when he had slipped in, silent as a shadow. The hotel¡¯s partially open restroom had offered no clues, her focus having been on the running water and her reflection in the mirror. And then there was the voicemail she had sent to King. Had Brian heard that, too? She remained quiet for a moment before responding in a low voice, ¡°Please leave.¡± But Brian seemed to ignore her request, chuckling softly instead. ¡°I¡¯m curious, does Gavin pay as he goes, or does he have some sort of subscription with you?¡± His insinuation hit her like a p. Brian thought she was engaging in that sexual business? What did he take her for? Natalie frowned, unable to hide her irritation. Pointing towards the door, she demanded with more force, ¡°I said get out!¡± Before her hand could retract, Brian grabbed it fiercely, pulling her towards him against the wall. She found herself enveloped in his unexpected embrace, her other handshing out towards his face without a second thought. The sound of her p was dull, the pain profound. Brian didn¡¯t dodge but simply bore the brunt of it, and Natalie was momentarily stunned to see his lip N?velDrama.Org owns this. bleeding from her strike. ¡°Enough?¡± His eyes shimmered with scorn as he spoke softly. She had learned self¨Cdefense as a child, and it was Brian who had taught her. Now, she was using those very skills against him. As panic flickered across her face, he gripped her waist tightly and lifted her onto the bed. ¡°Brian, let me go!¡± Natalie had three years of training with King¡¯s securitypany, where even the toughest instructors had trouble with her agility. Yet, with Brian, she seemed to have no chance to fight back. She struggled to break free, but he captured both her hands with one of his, pinning them above her head on the bed. ¡°Since we¡¯re settling Audrey¡¯s debt, am I not a better deal than Gavin?¡± His eyes were icy as he stared down at her, his voice a low growl through clenched teeth. This wasn¡¯t like Brian at all. He was always cold, always biting, but never had he spoken such shamelessly vile words, never had he forced her to do anything she didn¡¯t want to. Pain whitened her face, and she gazed at him, close enough to feel his breath, lost and helpless. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes. I¡¯m sick of it!¡± he snapped, taking a deep breath. The pressure on her wrists increased. Ever since she had been brought into the Howard family at six years old, she had looked at him with those innocent eyes. It wasn¡¯t until that fateful night he realized it was all a ploy, a trickery of Natalie and Audrey to wear down his defenses and get what they wanted. Natalie turned even paler. After a moment, her voice trembled as she replied. ¡°You¡¯re not tired of me looking at you. You¡¯re just tired of me.¡± She had spent sixteen years trying to find a way to open the heart of a devil, yet no method seemed to prate his armor. Chatper 33 Chatper 33 Chapter 33 ¡°Ten million for one night, that¡¯s what you said,¡± she tried to sh him a smile and said, ¡°If you¡¯re considering a monthly arrangement, I might be able to cut you a deal, two hundred million. And for an annualmitment? Eighteen hundred million How does that sound?¡± Audrey had walked away with nearly eighteen hundred million before. As she spoke,rge tears began to tumble uncontrobly down her cheeks. Brian stared at her, speechless. After a long pause, he let go of her hand and released her. Natalie stared at the pristine white ceiling for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°Mr. Howard, if you don¡¯t find me too soiled for your tastes, perhaps you should consider my earlier proposal. But for someone of your stature¡­¡± ¡°Next week,e to my office to sign the contract,¡± Brian cut her off coldly, without waiting for her to finish. With that, he stood up and left the room without looking back. Natalie shot up from the bed, staring in the direction he had left, stunned. He couldn¡¯t be serious, could he?! Natalie got out of bed a little after eight, still groggy, and made her way downstairs, nning to grab a breakfast bagel from the diner across the street. Just as she stepped out of her apartment building, she caught a glimpse of a little tyke in a school uniform, squatting by the side of the road. She thought she was seeing things and took another careful look at the child. Their gazes met, and the kid¡¯s smile was so wide that nearly reached his ears. He got up and headed towards her with little and hurried steps. Natalie stepped back in rm and looked around quickly, but there was no sign of any Howard family members or their cars nearby! ¡°Where¡¯s your family?¡± she asked, blocking the boy¡¯s attempt to hug her, furrowing her brows. ¡°I¡¯m going to preschool by myself,¡± Nate replied, somewhat excitedly and stammering, his small eyes shining brightly at Natalie. Natalie borrowed Rosie¡¯s car and checked the rearview mirror several times, ncing at the small figure in the backseat. She didn¡¯t know how to contact the Howard family, and Nate imed he didn¡¯t know his parents¡® phone numbers either, insisting that Natalie take him to preschool. He couldn¡¯t remember his parents¡® numbers, but he remembered the name of his preschool quite clearly. ¡°How did you manage to wander away from the nanny?¡± Natalie finally asked after a long silence. ¡°The nanny was shopping,¡± Nate said with innocent eyes, batting his long eyshes that looked like Original content from N?velDrama.Org. little fans, so much like Brian¡¯s. Natalie averted her gaze, feeling somewhat troubled. The preschool was not far from Natalie¡¯s apartment, just a couple of streets over. With traffic lights included, it was less than a ten¨Cminute drive. Natalie parked the car, opened the door, and let the little one out. Nate stood on the back seat and suddenly reached out, clinging to Natalie, his tiny arms wrapping tightly around her neck. Caught off guard by his embrace, Natalie was hit by the faint scent of baby lotion mixed with the deeper and muskier scent she recognized as Brian¡¯s. She paused for a few seconds before putting Nate down on the ground and whispered, ¡°Go to school now, your teacher is waiting.¡± But Nate looked up at her, nearly jumping up and down in urgency. He clutched the hem of her clothes and looked like he was about to cry, tears gathering in his eyes. ¡°Lady, will youe pick up me after school?¡± Natalie, unsure why the child was so insistent on her, frowned slightly and nodded nomittally, ¡°Okay, make sure you y nice with the other kids, boy¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like ying with the other kids,¡± Nate muttered sullenly, pouting and kicking a small stone by his feet. ¡°Why not?¡± Natalie asked, squatting down and gently pinching his chubby cheek.. Chatper 34 Chatper 34 Chapter 34 Nate attended the most prestigious private kindergarten in all of Streamville, a ce where only the children of wealthy and influential families were enrolled. Given the Howard family¡¯s prominent status in the town, it would be inevitable for anyone to marginalize Nate. ¡°They call me dumb, a bastard,¡± Nate said, tears welling up in his eyes as he nced at Natalie with a whisper. Natalie was stunned. ¡°Your mom¡¯s a homewrecker, shameless, you¡¯re a little bitch¡­¡± shbacks from her childhood surged violently through her mind. Natalie knew all too well how devastating bullying could be. But she never imagined that words like ¡°bastard¡± woulde from the mouths of three- or four¨Cyear¨Cold children. Although she didn¡¯t know who Nate¡¯s mother was, he was still recognized as a descendant of the Howard family. How could he be called a bastard? Perhaps Nate was born through surrogacy, which would exin why he didn¡¯t have a mother. Such arrangements were not umon in the high society. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. 2 F 2 2 2 2 2 8 2 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 After a moment of silence, she wrapped her arms around Nate andforted him softly, ¡°I think Nate is smart. You¡¯re just a littlete in starting to talk, that¡¯s all. A dumb kid wouldn¡¯t remember how to get to kindergarten.¡± As Natalie spoke, Nate¡¯s tears fell in earnest, and he sniffled, ¡°Then¡­ will youe to pick up me?¡± Natalie¡¯s heart softened at his tears, and she gently nodded, ¡°Of course.¡± That brought a smile to Nate, and he buried his head in Natalie¡¯s embrace, wiping away his tears and snot before contentedly heading into the kindergarten with his little backpack. Watching him enter, Natalie turned and walked back to her car. Just then, another child passed by Nate, who proudly pointed towards the entrance and boasted, ¡°That¡¯s my mommy, see?¡± Everyone said he didn¡¯t have a mommy, but he wanted to show them that he did! As Natalie was about to get into her car, she looked back at him. Nate waved at her from a distance, and she smiled back before driving away. The child next to Nate looked at him oddly and mocked, ¡°That¡¯s your sister, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s my mommy!¡± Nate¡¯s face turned flushed as he insisted loudly. Natalie woulde back for him, and then everyone would know! Natalie had taken Matthew to see the doctor, and it would be a while before the test results were ready. To pass the time, she casually started ying a game on her phone. Samuel, growing impatient outside, came in and asked, ¡°How much longer?¡± Natalie shifted her gaze from her game to give Samuel a sidelong nce. 28 8 2 2 2 2 2 3 Matthew was undergoing chemotherapy forte¨Cstage lung cancer in a lot of pain, and here Samuel was, showing his impatience. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be here, stop pretending to be the dutiful son,¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help but sneer. No doubt, Samuel and his wife were eager to take control and seize Matthew¡¯s share of thepany. ¡°Why do you have to be so unpleasant?¡± Samuel darkened his face. ¡°Want to hear something even more unpleasant?¡± Natalie asked nonchntly. Gracia walked in and nced at Natalie¡¯s phone, saying, ¡°Why are you still ying games?¡± Her tone carried a hint of scorn. Then, turning to Samuel, she consoled, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be upset. Natalie is getting married soon, and you¡¯ll have fewer chances to be angry with her.¡± Natalie ignored them, her hands moving swiftly to finish the game. Momentster, a system notification appeared, ¡°Congrattions to you for achieving today¡¯s first kill, dominating the leaderboard for the 198th consecutive day.¡± The chat was filled with admiration, ¡°The boss is so cool!¡± Chapter 34 ¡°My goodness, boss! Taking the knee! Solo saving the team, just epic!¡± ¡°This guy must have eight hands, I swear! Not even the high¨Crollers are this amazing!¡± Natalie checked her ount briefly, estimating the points. The ount she had nurtured without spending a penny could probably fetch a tidy sum now. She nned to sell all her gaming ounts next month. After all, yingpetitive games was just one way King had trained her to improve her reflexes. As the doctor helped Matthew out, Natalie closed her game and pocketed her phone to follow. ¡°Your engagement party is being prepared. You¡¯ll need to visit the boutique this afternoon to try on your dress,¡± Samuel said quietly behind her. §³§á§Ñ§â§ä§Ö §Ñ§Ý Chatper 35 Chatper 35 Chapter 35 ¡°A stroke of good fortune can turn things around. You marrying into the Foster family might just lift Matthew¡¯s spirits, and¡­ his health may improve¡± What kind of bullcrap are you talking about?¡± Natalie snapped, frustration etching her features as she turned to face him. ¡°You¡­ Samuel was taken aback by her sharp retort. I¡¯ve said it before I am not marrying Shawn. Since you agreed to it, you can figure out a solution!¡± With those final words, Natalie mmed ine door of the doctor¡¯s office, leaving Gracia and Samuel in the corridor. Matthew didn¡¯t need this kind of aggravation right now. She didn¡¯t want to be the cause of any more stress for him. ¡°How dare she, Samuel muttered, his face darkening to the color of storm clouds as he exchanged a nce with Gracia. ¡°Dad, you¡¯ll have to think this through on your own,¡± Gracia sighed softly, ¡°If Natalie marries out, then there might still be a chance for me to get into the Howard family. If she doesn¡¯t, she¡¯ll be a curse that When Natalie returned to her apartment that night, it was alreadyte, and she was so exhausted she could hardly think straight. The moment her head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, she was barely awake when her phone began to ring incessantly. On the second ring, Natalie groggily picked up and mumbled, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Hello, is this Mrs. Howard?¡± The cautious inquiry came from the other end of the line. The words ¡°Mrs. Howard¡± jolted Natalie to full alertness. She paused for a few seconds before responding, ¡°No, you¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± She nced at the caller ID. It was an unfamiliar number from back home. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then¡­ may I speak with Ms. Wright?¡± the voice continued politely. Twenty minutester, Natalie rushed breathlessly to the kindergarten and immediately spotted Nate and a few other children standing by the principal¡¯s office. Nate had a bruised face, and the other children didn¡¯t look much better. It was clear there had been a fight. While the other kids were crying, Nate stood defiantly silent, his eyes rimmed with red. ¡°What happened?¡± Natalie quickly approached Nate and knelt in front of him, gently taking his small hand. Nate initially tried to pull away, but when he saw that it was Natalie, he threw himself into her arms the next second, burying his face in her chest as he began to cry. For some reason, though Nate¡¯s cries were soft, they tugged at Natalie¡¯s heartstrings. She held him tight with a surge of protectiveness. ¡°Look at you, crying now after what you did to our kid. We all have only one child. What if something serious had happened? How would you make it right?¡± a parent nearby chided sharply. Natalie remained silent, lifting her gaze to look at the father and son pair. The boy was head and shoulders taller than the other pre¨Cschoolers. Both he and his father had a tough and intimidating appearance, not the kind of family that looked like they would reason things out. ¡°Exactly!¡± another parent chimed in. Hearing themotion, the principal came out of the office along with the other parents and asked Natalie, ¡°Are you Nathan Howard¡¯s parent?¡± Nathan Howard, the full name of Nate. Chatper 36 Chatper 36 Chapter 36 Natalie was caught off guard, unsure of how to answer the question. Besides, if there was a scuffle in preschool, it was supposed to be the Howard family who got the call, not her. ¡°I¡¯m family,¡± she said cautiously, her reply evasive. N?velDrama.Org owns this. The principal nodded, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. During ytime out on the yground, Nathan Howardshed out and hit a couple of kids. Then it turned into a whole mess when others jumped in to help. Regardless of the reason, the one who throws the first punch should be the one to apologize.¡± Natalie scanned the surroundings, counting six kids huddled nearby. She couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°One against six? Are you sure?¡± ¡°That kid has some dirty tricks, like poking eyes, aiming for the jaw, and kicking where it hurts. Surprised he took on six?¡± the burly man who had spoken first now said, raising his tone with anger, ¡°And this isn¡¯t the first time your kid hasshed out for no good reason!¡± It wouldn¡¯t be a shock if these moves were Brian¡¯s coaching, aiming for the weak spots in a fight. But Natalie still couldn¡¯t believe Nate would start a fight without cause. Facing a barrage of criticism about Nate¡¯s supposedck of manners, Natalie remained silent. Nate was still crying. She decided to wait until he finished. She stood up, carrying Nate out to the hallway to sit down. The sun was zing outside, and his little cheeks flushed red. She was worried he might get overheated on top of being upset. After a while, Nate subsided his crying, and his cheeks lessened in color. He calmed down enough to stop sniffling. ¡°Why did you fight, honey?¡± Natalie gently cleaned his tears and runny nose with a napkin, asking softly. The tears Nate had managed to stop began to fall again as he sobbed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe yesterday?¡± Yesterday? Natalie then remembered that she had promised to pick Nate up after school but had brushed it off, not realizing he had taken it to heart. ¡°So those six kids teased you because I didn¡¯t show up?¡± she asked, furrowing her brows. ¡°Uh¨Chuh¡­¡± Nate pouted, flowing his tears even more, ¡°I¡¯m not scared of them!¡± Natalie finally understood. Nate had rushed into her arms crying not because the fight hurt him, but because she had broken her promise. For a long moment, she said nothing, realizing the absence of a mother was casting a long shadow over his heart. 11.15 Chapter 36 She put Nate down, took his little hand, and turned to face the group of parents. ¡°Ready to apologize now?¡± the tall and muscr man demanded gruffly. ¡°¡®Nathan is a child born out of wedlock, a bastard. He doesn¡¯t have a mother.¡® Are these words you teach your children at home?¡± Natalie asked, her voice calm but her gaze fixed on the man. ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± The man darted away his eyes as he retorted, stiffening his neck. Natalie couldn¡¯t help but smirk coldly, ¡°So because you don¡¯t know who his mother is, you have the right to insult him, is that it? I¡¯d sure like to know what you think my brother Brian would do if he heard how you¡¯ve been talking behind his back about his family and his son.¡± The mention of Brian rattled the man, and the realization that their private words had be public schoolyard fodder left him visibly shaken. He turned his frustration towards Natalie, pointing at Nate, ¡°What¡¯s this kid babbling about!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Natalie reached out and grabbed his finger. Chatper 37 Chatper 37 Chapter 37 Standing at an imposing six feet six inches with a frame just shy of 300 pounds, the man found himself unceremoniously shoved backward, losing his bnce and tumbling to the ground with a thud. Natalie arched a brow, her voice a low reprimand, ¡°You¡¯re the onescking manners. Didn¡¯t your parents teach you it¡¯s rude to point? No wonder your kids are even worse!¡± With a stern nce, she swept her gaze over the cowering children who quickly hid behind their parents, intimidated by her prating stare. ¡°Listen up,¡± Natalie continued in a softer tone, but with no less authority, ¡°If any of you dare to mock Nathan again, I won¡¯t care who your parents are. You¡¯ll get the same treatment! And now, apologize to Nathan. Right now.¡± She could handle a few brats easily. None of these people were familiar with the Howard family, let alone aware of this girl, the so¨Ccalled Brian sister. Natalie¡¯s show of strength had frightened them. Realizing they were in the wrong and not to provoke Brian, the more timid among them quickly apologized to Nate and left, not willing to tangle further with Natalie. The man on the ground, his pride bruised and covered in dirt, scrambled to his feet, looking for a chance to settle the score with Natalie. Natalie watched him approaching ans shouting, ¡°Even if the almighty himself showed up, you¡¯d still owe me an apology. How dare you!¡± The man¡¯s hand was in her face now, and Natalie couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m rather well¨Coff,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Why the fuck should I care about your money!¡± The man snapped. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well, that means I¡¯m not worried about the medical bills,¡± Natalie replied coolly. Releasing Nate¡¯s small hand, she turned her attention to the blustering and chubby child. ¡°Watch how your dad gets hiseuppance. If you have an issue, feel free to keep picking on Nathan.¡± She refused to hold back against such families and their children. Since they had caused psychological harm to Nate, she would treat them with their medicine. Three minutester, the many on the grass, clutching his right arm, wailing in agony, unable to stand. Natalie, standing on the arm she had just broken, said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll call an ambnce. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll cover the medical and emotional distress costs.¡± She then pulled out a card from her purse and tossed it onto the man, ¡°There¡¯s three hundred Chapter 37 thousand on this. No need for change.¡± The school officials nearby turned ashen¨Cfaced. Calling the police was futile. Everyone in Streamville knew the precinct chief was Brian¡¯s cousin. Brushing off her hands. Natalie scooped Nate into her arms and asked, ¡°Other than your face. does anywhere else hurt?¡± ¡°No pain!¡± Nate shook his head vigorously. ¡°Then let¡¯s get you to ss.¡± Carrying Nate across thewn, Natalie headed towards the ssroom. Nate, wrapped around Natalie¡¯s neck, eyes gleaming with admiration, eximed, ¡°You¡¯re so cool!¡± Natalie looked down at Nate, who gazed up at her with adoration, and couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Next time you¡¯re bullied, tell your dad. He¡¯s even cooler.¡± ¡°Daddy?¡± Nate was flickered with confusion. Natalie nted a kiss on his cheek and gently set him down at the ssroom door, ¡°Go on in.¡± Nate reluctantly followed Natalie¡¯s urging, looking back repeatedly, moving slower than a turtle. He wished he could stay with Natalie forever. None of the tadies were like Natalie, who treated him so well. Chapter 38 Chatper 38 Chatper 38 Chapter 38 When Natalie got home, she was feeling tired again. Thest couple of days had been rough with her rtives visiting. It was a recurring nightmare every time they showed up over the past three years. If it hadn¡¯t been for Nate, she would have dly stayed indoors the entire time. She made herself a cup of hot chocte to soothe her pains and crashed on the couch. As the warmth offered a faintfort, she slipped into a restless sleep. ¡°¡­your guardian has toe, it¡¯s mandatory,¡± the voice echoed in her hazy dreamn, transporting her back to when she was fifteen. The teacher had been insistent. One of her parents had to show up. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to that parent¨Cteacher conference. You¡¯re not even a Wright anymore. Let your mom handle it.¡± came Samuel¡¯s irritable voice over the phone. Natalie gripped the receiver, her silencesting a few seconds before she spoke, ¡°My mom¡­ she left the country a couple of days ago. It wouldn¡¯t be right to ask Keh to go.¡± ¡°So what? She¡¯s shacked up with Keh Howard now, isn¡¯t she? He¡¯s your dad now. Stop bugging me with this nonsense!¡± Samuel was curt and the line went dead soon after. Hearing the dial tone, Natalie sighed quietly to herself. She stepped out of the phone booth, a relic in N?velDrama.Org owns this. an age where almost everyone carried cell phones. ¡°What era is she living in, using a public phone booth?¡± a group of snickering girls from her ss passed by, stinging their mockery. Natalie nced at them but kept silent. Her silence seemed to irk the girls, who took it as a slight. They couldn¡¯t understand why Natalie, whose mother was rumored to be quite influential, didn¡¯t have a cell phone of her own. ¡°Yeah, her mom has been with that guy for ten years without marrying him. What¡¯s she so proud of?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like neither her mom nor her dad wants her. She doesn¡¯t even have anyone to show up for a parent¨Cteacher conference.¡± It was the mid¨Cterm parent¨Cteacher conference day. The school had let out early at four, and students had brought their parents back to the ssrooms. Natalie, however, was alone. With her head slightly bowed, she made her way towards the school gates. The girls followed, their whispers and taunts continuing to chase after her. It was Friday. As a boarding student, Natalie would head home once a week. Her bag was so heavy it left red marks on her hands, her fingers swollen and shiny. As she approached the road to cross to the bus stop on the other side, she hesitated. A Chapter 38 Rolls¨CRoyce pulled up in front of her. The man in the back seat nced at the girls behind Natalie before turning his attention to her and asked sternly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about the parent¨Cteacher conference?¡± Clutching her bag, Natalie took a few seconds before softly calling out to the man, ¡°Brian.¡± ¡°Get in.¡± replied Brain. Natalie was acutely aware of her and Audrey¡¯s status in the Howard family. To put it bluntly. they were less than the hired servants. The staff earned their keep with chores, while it was crudely said that Audrey earned hers in bed. So Natalie always tread carefully, maintaining a cautious distance from everyone except for Brian, who was intimidatingly cold. ¡°From now on, don¡¯t ask Samuel for anything. If you need something, talk to your mother or me,¡± Brian said, taking Natalie¡¯s bag from her and examining her swollen hand with a gentle touch. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Mom had left the country until I called her this morning,¡± Natalie replied in a soft voice. ¡°I thought you and Keh were both away on business trips.¡± ¡°Use this phone from now on.¡± Brian pulled out a brand¨Cnew touchscreen smartphone from his suit pocket and slipped it into Natalie¡¯s backpack. Chatper 39 Chatper 39 Chapter 39 ¡°No thanks,¡± Natalie said quickly, waving off the offer. The phone was worth a pretty penny, easily a grand or more, and she had just seen the rich kids at school showing off thetest models. Brian had assumed that since Natalie was attending a boarding school, Audrey would have provided her with a mobile phone. ¡°To avoid situations like today,¡± Brian said sinctly. Once Brian made up his mind about something, there was no changing it. Realizing this, Natalie didn¡¯t protest any further. She rummaged through her bag, pulled out a report card, and handed it to him. ¡°This is my midterm report.¡± Brian had always known Natalie to be diligent and obedient, with her standardized test scores ranking third in the city. The family took pride in her achievements, and Audrey and Natalie never had to feel ashamed. To Brian, what mattered most was that Natalie worked hard and got good grades. True to form, Natalie had outdone herself again, scoring first in her ss. ¡°What¡¯s that on your hand?¡± His concern, however, wasn¡¯t her academics but the deep cut on her left hand as she clutched the report card. ¡°Just a little ident while slicing an apple,¡± Natalie said, pulling her hand back subconsciously. ¡°It¡¯s healing up fine.¡± Natalie¡¯s self¨Ccare had always been a bit of a disaster. She was the type to somehow always end up with mysterious bruises or cuts, a real klutz. Without a word, Brian pulled out an antiseptic from a hiddenpartment in his car and grabbed her hand to disinfect the wound before applying a band¨Caid. Natalie watched him silently, the setting sun casting a soft glow through the car window, shadowing his face with her thickshes. He was overwhelmingly handsome.. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Brian seemed¡­ more attentive than usual, perhaps gentler. Maybe it was because she had started But it was also Brian who had decided she should board in the first ce. After fixing her up, Brian took the report card and got out of the car. ¡°I hope that starting tomorrow, Natalie won¡¯t have to see those students again.¡± She saw him pull out another phone, dial a number, and heard him say just that through the haze. Natalie clung to the car window, calling out from a distance, ¡°Brian, I¡¯ll wait for you to finish the parent¨C teacher conference so we can go home together.¡± Brian gave a nonmittal smile, turned, and entered the school gates, his tall figure standing 1/2 11:15 Chapter 39 out starkly among the other parents. Natalie woke up from a fitful sleep, sweaty and disoriented, to the incessant ringing of thendline. She had a splitting headache, rubbing her temples. She stumbled to the video phone and hit answer. ¡°Ms. Wright, you¡¯d bettere down here. There¡¯s a kid insisting he¡¯s your son and he won¡¯t leave!¡± Sitting on the couch, Natalie stared at the little boy perched on a stool across from her. Nate. They had been in a standoff for a while now. ¡°Tell me what the housekeeper¡¯s number is, kiddo. They must be worried about you,¡± Natalie said patiently, trying again. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Nate replied with a shake of his head and a pair of innocent and wide eyes. Natalie was on the brink of losing it! How on earth did this child end up in her apartment?! If the Howard family didn¡¯te to pick up Brian¡¯s son, she¡¯d be in handcuffs for child abduction by tomorrow! She had her doubts about this kid being as innocent and harmless as he put on. How did he even find this ce on his own? How could a three-year¨Cold have such a great sense of direction?! Chatper 40 Chatper 40 Chapter 40 ¡°Your dad¡¯s gonna freak out, you know. Come on, let¡¯s head back!¡± she pleaded with all the patience of a saint. And to make matters worse, she never had kids, yet now even the doorman thought she had a three¨C year¨Cold son! How on earth was she supposed to live this down? ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Nate pouted stubbornly. Without another word, he dragged a little stool over to Natalie and sat down. ¡°Nate¡¯s hungry.¡± It was well past six, Natalie herself was famished, let alone the kid. She sighed, resigning herself to the situation, and told Nate firmly, ¡°We¡¯ll have dinner, but then you have to go home. No funny business.¡± Reaching for her phone, she was about to order some takeout. But then she nced at the little boy with his pitiful puppy dog eyes, putting her phone away after thinking twice. She stood up, walked over to the fridge, and rummaged for some veggies and spaghetti. She could make do with a quick bite from some delivery service, but the kid needed a proper meal. After washing the veggies, she turned back to the living room and was stunned to find Nate had managed to turn on the TV, finding his way to the cartoon channel, and was now seriously engrossed in an animation. Was her house haunted? Her TV had parental controls. How did he crack them? She paused for a few seconds, then shook her head with a self¨Cdeprecating smile. Maybe she¡¯d forgotten to lock it. She whipped up a quick spaghetti with tomatoes. As the water in the pot began to boil for the pasta, she pulled out her phone again. She didn¡¯t have the Howard family¡¯s contact information, but she remembered ¡®Brian¡¯s old number. He had given her a phone back in the day, with only his number saved. For a long time, he was the only one she ever called. That string of digits was like a tattoo on her heart, impossible to forget. After hesitating for a couple of minutes, she dialed the number. Taking a deep breath, she held the phone to her ear. ¡°Hello?¡± About ten secondster, a deep and familiar voice answered. Natalie bit her lip, then said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Natalie. Your son¡¯s with me.¡± After she quickly exined the past two days, Brian was silent for a few seconds before replying, ¡°He can stay with you for 1/2 11:15 Chapter 40 now. I¡¯ll let the family know.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m abroad, not convenient right now.¡± And with that, he ended the call. Staring at her phone in disbelief, Natalie wondered if he was being too casual. Didn¡¯t he worry she might kidnap his son and demand a ridiculous ransom? The pot almost boiled over. Natalie scrambled to turn off the gas and sighed as she served up the pasta and scrambled eggs. ¡°Papa,¡± Nate turned to look at her, pointing at someone on the entertainment news with a big grin. Natalie set the table and nced at the TV. It was showing a live entertainment broadcast, with a woman clutching Brian¡¯s arm, apparently at some film festival¡¯s red carpet event. Brian hadn¡¯t lied. He really was abroad. She watched him adjust a wireless earbud in his left ear. He must have been at the event when he took her call, which exined the background noise she heard. She took another look at the morous woman by his side, then nonchntly said to Nate, ¡°Time for spaghetti.¡± Nate scampered over with his little legs, eximing, ¡°Smells good!¡± Natalie eyed the less¨Cthan¨Cpicture¨Cperfect scrambled eggs and raised an eyebrow. This kid must be buttering her up. Even that dish got apliment. Nate climbed onto the chair, waiting politely for Natalie to serve him. As he took his bowl, he instinctively said, ¡°Thanks, Mommy!¡± Natalie froze once more, turning to look at Nate. Chapter 40 now. I¡¯ll let the family know.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m abroad, not convenient right now.¡± And with that, he ended the call. Staring at her phone in disbelief, Natalie wondered if he was being too casual. Didn¡¯t he worry she might kidnap his son and demand a ridiculous ransom? The pot almost boiled over. Natalie scrambled to turn off the gas and sighed as she served up the pasta and scrambled eggs. ¡°Papa,¡± Nate turned to look at her, pointing at someone on the entertainment news with a big grin. Natalie set the table and nced at the TV. It was showing a live entertainment broadcast, with a woman clutching Brian¡¯s arm, apparently at some film festival¡¯s red carpet event. Brian hadn¡¯t lied. He really was abroad. She watched him adjust a wireless earbud in his left ear. He must have been at the event when he took her call, which exined the background noise she heard. She took another look at the morous woman by his side, then nonchntly said to Nate, ¡°Time for spaghetti.¡± Nate scampered over with his little legs, eximing, ¡°Smells good!¡± Natalie eyed the less¨Cthan¨Cpicture¨Cperfect scrambled eggs and raised an eyebrow. This kid must be buttering her up. Even that dish got apliment. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Nate climbed onto the chair, waiting politely for Natalie to serve him. As he took his bowl, he instinctively said, ¡°Thanks, Mommy!¡± Natalie froze once more, turning to look at Nate. Chatper 41 Chatper 41 Chapter 41 Nate, gripping his fork awkwardly, seemed a bit embarrassed by his slip of the tongue. After a moment, he chuckled and crinkled his eyes in a mischievous attempt to charm his way out of the faux pas. Natalie¡¯s son had passed away inside her three years ago, a silent grief she carried with her. If the child were alive, he would be about Nate¡¯s age now. She remained silent for a while before giving Nate a smile and putting some scrambled eggs onto his te as if to erase the earlier difort. She then sat down beside him to share the spaghetti he was twirling on his fork. As Nate slurped up his spaghetti, he continued to watch the live show streaming on TV. After a while, he frowned and said, ¡°Nate doesn¡¯t like it.¡± Natalie thought he was referring to her cooking, which was a tad too salty today. ¡°Nate doesn¡¯t like Ms. Harris.¡± Just as she was about to pour him a ss of water, Nate pointed to the woman next to Brian on the TV and said with conviction, ¡°I don¡¯t like her. That was Madelyn Harris, Brian¡¯s childhood friend who was two years his junior. The Harris family and the Howard family were close, so it wasn¡¯t strange that Nate knew Madelyn. Natalie nced at the TV and then back at Nate, asking, ¡°Why don¡¯t you like her?¡± Nate tilted his head, chewing on his spaghetti thoughtfully. After a long pause, he replied with a flushed face, ¡°Just don¡¯t like her.¡± After forcing down the less¨Cthan¨Ctasty spaghetti with a loud gulp, he offered a generouspliment, ¡°Yummy!¡± In his eyes, Mommy¡¯s spaghetti was better than any chef¡¯s at home! Natalie was taken aback by his candid praise, not yet thick¨Cskinned enough to respond. Because of his aversion to Madelyn, Nate changed the channel to a cartoonwork, munching on his spaghetti with glee. Natalie watched him thoughtfully as he finished his meal and then helped him with a ss of water before going to wash the dishes. By the time she cleaned up the kitchen, she found Nate slumped on the couch, fast asleep. Natalie approached to carry him to bed when she heard him mutter in his sleep, ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Brian had lounged on that very couch a few days back, and the child might have caught his scent. As she reached to pick up Nate, she caught a glimpse of the small school badge pinned to his chest. Nathan Howard. Chapter 41 Nathan, Nate, and Natalie¡­ After a moment of silence, Natalie carried Nate to the bedroom, cleaned his face with a wet towel, and cleaned a few scratches on his face with iodine. She checked his bulging backpack and found a couple of crumpled clothes inside. A clear sign of a premeditated runaway attempt. She couldn¡¯t help butugh softly at the thought, just as she was about to change his clothes, her phone buzzed. It was Brian calling from Rosewood Estate abroad. Brian stood patiently on the porch, the heady scent of roses mingled with a hint of alcohol somewhat overwhelming. ¡°Chatting with your wife?¡± Quinton tossed down thest two cards in the living room and nced back with a smirk. Remington, ncing at his own cards, joined in teasingly, ¡°Did she give you that little cut on your lip? Just a tiny scratch and it¡¯s all over the news. No way we canpete with that.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Even if you came out of a major battle wheelchair¨Cbound, you still couldn¡¯t match that tiny scratch of his,¡± Quintonughed heartily. The others joined in theughter and banter, but Brian, unperturbed, just smiled faintly, waiting for Natalie to pick up the phone. After half a minute, he finally heard the ¡°beep¡± signaling she had answered. Chatper 42 Chatper 42 Chapter 42 Natalie remained silent. ¡°Is Nate tucked in?¡± He thought for a moment, then whispered softly. ¡°Just went to bed.¡± Natalie deliberately lowered her voice, softer than usual, ¡°I was about to help him change into his pajamas.¡± ¡°Got a call from his teacher.¡± Brian spoke after a brief pause, showing an effort to start a conversation, ¡°Why did he get into a fight?¡± ¡°Just a little tiff with those kids,¡± Natalie replied evasively. The subject of Nate¡¯s mom was a tricky one for Natalie and Brian to discuss, so she decided to drop it altogether. Brian knew she was dodging the question and fell silent. If it hadn¡¯t been for Audrey, perhaps this would¡¯ve been the life Brian always wanted. But Audrey and her appearance had been nothing but a sham from start to finish. He was about to continue when he felt a twinge of pain in the corner of his mouth where Natalie had hit him the day before. He touched it instinctively, ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Natalie heard the strain in his voice but said nothing. ¡°Brian?¡± From a short distance away, Remington¡¯s mother called out to Brian softly, gesturing to the fruit bowl in her hand. Brian waved her off, indicating he wasn¡¯t interested. Natalie heard a woman¡¯s voice and thought he was with Madelyn, so she politely said, ¡°You go ahead with what you¡¯re doing. I can help you look after the kid for a few days.¡± With that, she hung up. A flicker of annoyance passed through Brian as he stared at the darkened screen of his phone, frowning. What did she mean? Help him? ¡°You guys just separated for an hour or two, why the phone call again?¡± Quinton teased Brian as he walked in. Brian ignored him, heading straight through the living room and out the door without a word. ¡°Someone has got a short fuse,¡± Quinton muttered under his breath as he watched Brian leave. Remington thoughtfully nced in the direction Brian had disappeared, then quietly said, ¡°He wasn¡¯t calling Madelyn.¡± ¡°Then it must be Gracia, huh?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. But Remington just smiled slightly and kept silent. 1/2 11.16 Chapter 42 Quinton didn¡¯t understand Brian as well, but Remington knew Brian wasn¡¯t this gentle with Gracia. To this observer, although Brian never spoke the word ¡®love¡®, it was clear he was deeply smitten, even if he didn¡¯t know it himself. Yet, he also resented how Audrey and Natalie had shattered the Howard family. Theseplex emotions made it hard for Brian to find a bnce. One could only call it karma. At 3 a.m., Natalie stirred from her sleep and felt as though someone was watching her, making her ufortable. She sat up groggily. Nate was sleeping soundly beside her, resting his head on her arm. As Natalie reached for the nightlight, suddenly, someone grabbed her hand from the side of the bed. She shuddered, instinctively ready to defend herself, but then she was enveloped by a familiar scent, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Recognizing Brian¡¯s voice, she rxed and stopped struggling. In the dim light, she looked at Brian and whispered, ¡°Are you here for Nate?¡± But Brian just stared at her, silent. Natalie frowned, puzzled by his intense gaze, ¡°Sorry for interrupting your evening. I should¡¯ve been more proactive and taken Nate over to the Howard family earlier.¡± ¡®Interrupting your evening?¡® At her words, Brian darkened his expression instantly. ¡°Natalie, sometimes I want to cut open your heart and to have a look.¡± He tightened his grip on her hand, pulling her to her feet. Natalie winced in pain but bit her lip and remained quiet. ¡°Besides, since I¡¯ve been disturbed, shouldn¡¯t you be the one to make amends?¡± He snaked an arm around her waist and hissed into her ear menacingly. Chatper 43 Chatper 43 Chapter 43 ¡°Brian, this is your son!¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t fathom what had gotten into him, showing up in the dead of night to pick a fight. She furrowed her brows and tried to push him away. It was the wee hours of the morning, and dawn had yet to break. Her cramps were so bad they haunted even her dreams. He was abroad and it was inconvenient to deal with Nate¡¯s issues, so Natalie kept Nate while he got cozy with Madelyn over there. Natalie promptly hung up the phone, sensibly stepping back. She believed she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong! ¡°Yes! He¡¯s mine!¡± Brian was through gritted teeth. ¡°So what gives you the right toe here and yell at me?¡± Natalie shot back without hesitation. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Nate stir, seemingly roused by their argument. Natalie immediately mped her mouth shut and nced over. Thankfully, Nate was just ufortable in his sleep and had turned to hug his fluffy pillow, mumbling something before drifting back to dreand. Until Nate was sound asleep again, neither of them made a sound. After a while, Brian let go of Natalie and walked towards the living room. Natalie watched his retreating figure, feeling a lump in her throat that made it hard to breathe. Then, Brian turned back around, something in his hand, and sat down beside the bed. Natalie couldn¡¯t make out what he was holding in the pitch¨Cdark room. He reached out again, grabbing her wrist. Natalie instinctively pulled away, but he held on, not letting her retreat. ¡°Let go of me!¡± she couldn¡¯t help but resist. Brian looked ashen, lifting his eyes to meet hers. The next second, Natalie felt something wet touch her fingertip, followed by a piercing pain. She didn¡¯t even know when she¡¯d gotten a cut, maybe when she was at the daycare. Silence filled the room once more. Brian¡¯s movements as he disinfected and applied a band¨Caid were gentle, reminiscent of the day he attended the parent¨Cteacher conference. the m A slight tremor, went through Natalie. She pressed her lips tightly together, enduring the pain. and didn¡¯t try to pull away. In her memory, it was that day when she felt so utterly wretched and helpless that her fondness for Brian solidified. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. When she had quieted down, Brian raised his eyes to hers. They locked eyes for a moment, and then his gaze dropped to her slightly parted lips. Natalie¡¯s inner rms went off, but it was toote to dodge. She watched helplessly as he leaned in and kissed her. His domineering presence was overwhelming and his hand cradled the back of her neck, fingers entwined in her thick hair, leaving her no chance to escape. Natalie¡¯s mind went nk. Brian¡¯s hand was firm on her delicate chin. She had no chance to dodge, with her lower lip throbbing under his bite. Suddenly, she remembered that Brian might have kissed Madelyn just a while ago. Now he was using those same lips to kiss her, which made her feel sick to her stomach. ¡°Let go¡­¡± Her words were muffled against his lips. But her feeble attempts at resistance seemed like a tiny insect shaking a mighty tree to him. He cornered her against the bed and left her no escape, pressing down his hand on hers. ¡°Let me go!¡± Natalie was nearly suffocating from his kiss. In a moment of his distraction, she desperately tried to dodge his lips, ¡°Brian, you jerk!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted?¡± His voice was a low and cold sneer, throwing her words back at her. Natalie froze. She thought he¡¯d let it go since he hadn¡¯t brought it up again and his words were spoken in anger. She didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d taken her seriously. Chatper 44 Chatper 44 Chapter 44 ¡°How long has it been?¡± he asked, his brow furrowed and his voice grave. Never before had Natalie been so grateful for her period. Even the usual difort seemed trivial now. ¡°Two days,¡± she replied tersely, pressing her lips together. His aura turned stormy in an instant. Even without seeing his face clearly, Natalie could feel the irritation radiating off him. Just then, his phone buzzed in the pocket of the discarded clothes nearby, indicating an iing call. Seeing that he made no move, Natalie bit the bullet and nudged, ¡°Your phone.¡± Brian wasn¡¯t deaf. He waited for the phone to ring a second time before he yanked it out, barely containing his fury. He was about to shut it off, but as he glimpsed the caller ID, he paused. After a fleeting look at Natalie, he draped the nket back over her and stood up, walking towards the living room. Although he took the call out on the balcony, Natalie could still faintly hear a woman¡¯s voice on the line, ¡°Brian?¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Brian replied after a few words from the other end, his voice low. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± He ended the call and, after a moment of silence, looked back towards the bedroom. ¡°Next Monday, Nataliey in bed, listening to the sound of Brian leaving the apartment and closing the door. She let out a quiet breath in the darkness. Reid waited by the rear car door downstairs. As Brian descended, he quietly said, ¡°Mr. Howard, we might not make it in time. Should we dy the press conference?¡± Brian felt like he had lost his mind. In five hours, an international event he had been nning for half a year was set to begin, and he was the main organizer. Yet here he was, having flown back from abroad, all for a one¨Cminute call with Natalie. The heavy tension from Brian stopped Reid mid¨Csentence. Reid closed his mouth and bowed his head. Before getting into the car, Brian looked up at the tenth¨Cfloor window. ¡°Push it back an hour,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Also, arrange a car service for Natalie to take Nate.¡± The cheap car Natalie had borrowed was hardly fit to be a toy for Nate. She was that broke. ¡°Understood.¡± Reid responded with due respect. ¡°And we¡¯ve been tracking the FireWing for a few days. Around 11:30st night, a suspected signal appeared in this building for a few seconds between the sixth and seventh floors. We¡¯re checking the background of the residents on those floors,¡± Reid said, handing over a tablet. Brian frowned at the blinking red dot on the screen. FireWing must have caught on to the hackers following him, leaving such an obvious trace. Even without thinking hard, Brian knew it was a ruse. A bunch of ipetents were yed by FireWing. ¡°Thoroughly check everyone who entered this buildingst night,¡± hemanded, tossing the tablet back ¡°Will do!¡± When Natalie opened her door the next morning, Reid stood there like a guardian deity. Upon seeing her, he immediately greeted her with respect, ¡°Good morning, miss.¡± Startled, Natalie thought he was there to pick up Nate and whispered, ¡°I promised Nate I¡¯d take him to breakfast. You can take him after we eat.¡± ¡°No, miss. Mr. Howard is currently abroad, and the young master will have to impose on you a few more days.¡± Reid exined. As he spoke, he pulled out a set of car keys and offered them to Natalie, ¡°Please choose one, miss.¡± Natalie nced at the five car keys in Reid¡¯s hand, furrowing her brow. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I have my own car.¡± for ¡°Mr. Howard said that clunker isn¡¯t even worthy of being seen at the school gates. It would sully the ce. The young master is far too precious.¡± Taking a deep breath, Natalie stared directly at Reid, saying nothing. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Tust like the kind of biting remark Brian would make. Chatper 45 Chatper 45 Chapter 45 Natalie didn¡¯t bother with pretenses, casually grabbing what appeared to be the least expensive set of car keys on the rack. By the time Nate hadced up his sneakers and bounded down the stairs, the vehicle was already purring quietly at the curb. She thought they were being a tad over¨Cthe¨Ctop. She had assumed that the Mercedes key fob was for the most basic model they had, but she found herself behind the wheel of a sleek S¨Css roadster. Driving a car worth nearly two million dors was sure to stir up some gossip, The reason Natalie hadn¡¯t bought a car back home was twofold. Firstly, she hadn¡¯t nned on sticking around for long. Secondly, it seemed a bit too showy for a twenty¨Csomething student who was still in school and supposedly abandoned by her parents to afford her ride. Given her unique circumstances, keeping a low profile was for the best. Reid nced at her, asking in a soft voice, ¡°What¡¯s up? Don¡¯t like it?¡± She met his eyes for a moment and let out a quiet sigh. No need to mention the other cars. This one was definitely the cheapest. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± she replied, sighing. With that, she hoisted Nate into the car and took off to grab some breakfast. Watching the roadster fade into the distance, Reid turned to leave, a nagging feeling that something was off. The gearshift on a Mercedes was on the steering column, which often took new drivers by surprise. But Natalie had handled it like an expert.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Had Natalie driven a Mercedes before? It didn¡¯t add up. When Natalie and Nate stepped out, the two security guards in the booth exchanged knowing nces. Natalie had imed Nate was her little brother yesterday, but no one was buying it. Annoyed, she couldn¡¯t help but re down at Nate, who was innocently holding on to her finger. Nate looked up, sensing her gaze, and shed Natalie a goofy grin full of love. ¡°What do you want for breakfast?¡± she sighed. Her irritation melted away in the face of his cuteness. ¡°Pancakes¡­ with maple syrup.¡°.Nate said after a moment of thinking, trying to articte the words carefully. Yesterday, Natalie had introduced him to the wonders of chocte cookies and milkshakes, blowing his culinary world wide opent He had never tasted such things beforet The Howard family mighty out an array of fancy pastries every morning, but none of those breakfast items could hold a candle to the delicious chocte cookies from yesterday! ¡°Sure¡± Natalie said and led him to a cozy little diner tucked away on a side street. They ordered two steaming hot pancakes that made Nate exim in delight at the aroma. ¡°Milkshake of banana vor or strawberry one?¡± Natalie asked. Mik¡­ shake, Nate managed to string the words together after a struggle. In Nate¡¯s world, milk was milk, He had never heard milkshake before. He tilted his head, watching the diner owner pouring the milkshake, puzzled, ¡°Lady, can the milk Shake itself?¡± Natalie nearly choked on her chuckle. The attendant behind the counter beamed at them, ¡°What a pretty young man and such a young and lucky mom!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not his mother,¡± Natalie corrected him, her face turning red. ¡°Oh, my apologies. I thought there was a family resemnce¡­¡± the attendant mumbled, looking embarrassed. Natalie paused, scrutinizing Nate more closely. Did they look alike? Natalie hurried Nate off to preschool. After dropping him off for the third time, the teacher at the door recognized her and greeted her with a smile, ¡°Morning, Nathan¡¯s mom. Love your makeup today!¡± These past few days. Natalie had lost count of how many times she had to exin that she was not Nate¡¯s mother. She was starting to feel a bit helpless. Chapter 46 Chatper 46 Chatper 46 Chapter 46 Nate was the picture of happiness, sporting a wide grin. He hopped and skipped his way into. the kindergarten with a ball of pure and Infectious happiness. Natalie had just settled behind the wheel when her phone buzzed with a call from Rosie, her agent, beckoning her to the office. An agent¡¯s roster often boasted a myriad of talents, but Rosie, likely at Gavin¡¯s behest, had amicably parted ways with another performer who dabbled in both acting and singing. Now, Natalie was her sole focus. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Upon reaching the office, where the majority of the artists on their floor were present, Rosie took Natalie under her wing for introductions. Rumors of Natalie and Gavin¡¯s ndestine rtionship had tiptoed through thepany. In such a small industry, secrets were hard to keep, so most colleagues treated Natalie with courteous respect only for Gavin¡¯s sake. However, as they approached thest door, the person inside was dismissive to both Natalie and Rosie. Rosie, ever the diplomat, entered to negotiate, leaving Natalie waiting at the door where she overheard Rosie address the upant as ¡°Madelyn.¡± Natalie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Could it really be her? ¡°For old times¡® sake, considering she¡¯s the new kid on the block, let her in,¡± came the voice from within. Rosie beckoned Natalie into the room, where she instantly recognized Madelyn, even from a silhouette. Memories surged like a tidal wave, threatening to overwhelm her. Madelyn turned, and their eyes met with a calm that suggested she¡¯d known all along who had. taken her ce with Rosie. The Howard family and the Harris family had always been close, their families interwoven. through generations. Natalie had crossed paths with Madelyn more than once during her time with the Howard family. ¡°Been a while. Natalie,¡± Madelyn greeted with a smile, breaking the ice. After a lengthy silence, Natalie finally murmured, ¡°Hello, Madelyn. It¡¯s a pleasure. I look forward to working together.¡± The next day, around noon at the mall near the office, Rosie was picking out a few outfits for Natalie. ¡°Take these with you to the set and wear them as your casual outfits. Paparazzi are always lurking around, especially for fresh faces. We¡¯ve got to keep up appearances.¡± Natalie nodded alongside Rosie. ¡°I trust your judgment. Whatever you think is best.¡± As she spoke, Natalie caught a glimpse of two familiar figures in a store across the way. The man was dapper in his suit, the very picture of tall, dark, and handsome. The woman exuded grace and gentleness. They were a perfect pair. Brian was back. Rosie, noticing Natalie¡¯s distracted air, followed her gaze to Brian and Madelyn, raising her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°That tie would look good on you,¡± Madelyn suggested, draping a tie over Brian¡¯s shirt, her voice soft. ¡°Whatever you think,¡± Brian replied absentmindedly, his attention elsewhere. His eyes found the fleeting figure in the corner. He frowned, recognizing the silhouette. Was that Rosie, thepany¡¯s top agent? As he considered following, Madelyn caught thepel of his jacket. ¡°Where are you off to? The press conference is soon, and we can¡¯t bete.¡± Her tone shifted to a gentle insistence, ¡°Let me try this on for you, so we can buy it and go.¡± ¡°Just get them all,¡± Brian said, thinning his patience as he watched Rosie disappear around a corner. Suddenly, a sweet scent wafted towards him. Madelyn, on tiptoes, leaned in to assist with his tie. ¡°It¡¯s best to try it on,¡± she smiled, then took a polite step back, continuing her task. Around the corner, Rosie watched the scene with a scoff. ¡°If that¡¯s not a couple, I don¡¯t know what is.¡± Chatper 47 Chatper 47 Chapter 47 Rosie continued, ¡°Last Thursday, they had jetted off together to attend a fashion show overseas. I wonder what kind of spotlight Mr. Howard has shone on Gracia this time. Ever since that trending scandal, she¡¯s beenying low for days. This is man, I tell you- Rosie trailed off as she noticed Natalie¡¯splexion seemed off. ¡°What¡¯s up, buttercup? Feeling under the weather?¡± Natalie nced onest time at the couple cozying up in the corner of the boutique, then turned back to Rosie with a forced smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Got all we need, let¡¯s head back.¡± Rosie couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Natalie was acting peculiarly. Just moments ago, she was all gung¨Cho about their shopping spree. But Natalie wasn¡¯t spilling, and Rosie wasn¡¯t one to pry. Back at the agency, Natalie spent the afternoon posing for promotional shots, unusually quiet and withdrawn. In the makeup room, Rosie tentatively offered, ¡°Wanna grab dinner together?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve got some stuff to handle. You go on ahead,¡± Natalie replied, her tone t. Rosie, despite their budding work partnership, knew they were still practically strangers. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll catch youter,¡± Rosie said, masking her concern with a casual tone. Alone, Natalie wiped off her makeup, ncing at the clock. It was three, and Brian and Madelyn¡¯s press conference should have wrapped up by half¨Cpast two. Maybe she could still find Brian. As she changed, muffled voices drifted in from outside. ¡°¡­straight outta the gate, she has been on Madelyn¡¯s bad side and snatched her agent. How¡¯s Natalie gonna survive at the firm now?¡± ¡°Yeah, the Howard family only invested in us because of Madelyn. Her new track¡¯sunch with Mr. Howard by her side speaks volumes, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And as for the son of Mr. Howard, isn¡¯t the word on the street that he¡¯s Madelyn¡¯s little secret from when she was shelved? Who doesn¡¯t give her respects around here?¡± ¡°Though, Gracia was touted as the future Mrs. Howard until she crossed Natalie and got the boot on the CEO¡¯s say¨Cso.¡± ¡°True, Natalie¡¯s got the CEO backing her. Plus, this morning, she rolled into the garage in a Benz roadster, one of those million¨Cdor babies.¡± ¡°Had to be a gift from the CEO! None of us can touch that kinda ride¡­¡± Natalie stilled her hands, absorbing their gossip. Chapter 47 Was Nate Madelyn¡¯s son? But just days ago, Nate had told her twice he wasn¡¯t fond of Madelyn. The group entered, and Natalie slipped on her shoes, ready to dodge them, but they bumped into each other, halting in an awkward silence. ¡°Natalie, you¡¯re here too,¡± one murmured, trying to break the ice. ¡°Yeah, just stepped out of the fitting room,¡± Natalie replied with a nonchnt smile, though they all sensed the fib. They scattered with flimsy excuses, leaving Natalie alone with a wry twist of her lips. Gossip was indeed the fastest travelpanion. Once the corridor fell silent, she made her way upstairs to Brian¡¯s office and tucked away on the top floor. At the end of a long hallway, Brian¡¯s office was far from Gavin and the rest. The upper floor was deserted and silent. Natalie quickened her pace to the door, about to knock, when she noticed it was ajar. There was a sliver of space just wide enough to see a red¨Csoled ck high heel wedged by the doorframe. Her memory shed back to the woman she had seen earlier at the mall, strutting in those same heels. It was Madelyn. Chatper 48 Chatper 48 Chapter 48 Natalie nced up, catching sight of a dove¨Cgray chiffon scarf strewn across the floor by the desk. The softughter of another woman floated through the air. Pausing for a few seconds, her hand withdrew silently from the doorknob. Madelyn, barefoot andnguidly lounging on the couch, watched the shadow behind the door quietly slip away, putting on a sly smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been working hard these days. Go home and get some rest. I¡¯ll have Gavin sign off on your leave,¡± Brian stood by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, watching the reporters trickle out from below, murmuring softly. ¡°Sounds good.¡± Madelyn shifted her gaze away then back to Brian. He seemed eager to see her off, probably worried that Natalie might drop by and get the wrong idea. But Natalie had left. ¡°Brian, take care of yourself too. With all thepanies under WL¡¯s name, your hands¨Con approach is him. While speaking, she reached out to smooth a crease on his shirt. But in the next moment, he caught her wrist.. Brian turned and furrowed his brows slightly, his eyes filled with an indiscernible intensity. ¡°That hurts¡­¡± she met his gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. Without waiting for her to pull away, Brian asked in a low voice, ¡°The buzz about Gracia on social media was your doing, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Madelyn was taken aback, replying in confusion, ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ve been in the studio the whole time Gracia was trending, preparing for my new song release. You know that.¡± Brian flickered his look slightly. ¡°It better be. You know what Gracia means, to the Howard family. If she¡¯s in trouble and it blows up, you won¡¯t be e to handle the fallout. Don¡¯t let it happen again.¡± ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t do it.¡± Madelyn¡¯s voice rose in urgency, ¡°Or is that what you think of me?¡± Releasing her hand, Brian turned to sit at his desk, not looking up as he replied, ¡°I can only hope that you¡¯ll always be beyond reproach.¡± Madelyn caught the underlying message and opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. This was the first time Brian had ever doubted her, and she was at a loss for words. She watched his cold profile for a while, finally speaking in a subdued tone, ¡°I¡¯ll leave now, and you should get some rest too.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Brian responded indifferently. Madelyn picked up the scarf from the floor, slipped on her shoes, and silently left his office. As the door closed behind her, a sharp glint crossed her eyes. Madelyn had indeed escted the situation with Gracia¡¯s viral moment, but even she was surprised to see it still topping the trends the following morning. Perhaps there was a glitch on. the server.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Yet she knew it all started because of Natalie. Gracia was merely a shield for Brian. Natalie sat dazed in her car until her phone¡¯s ring snapped her back to reality. It was the kindergarten teacher. No one hade to pick up Nate. Rushing to the kindergarten around six o¡¯clock, she waster than usual. School had ended just before four, and she had meant to ask Brian earlier if he was going to pick up Nate and take him back to the Howard household. After all, the child wasn¡¯t her responsibility. It didn¡¯t seem right for Nate to keep staying at her ce. But then, the unexpected had happened. Inside the ssroom, Nate was the only child left, dozing off pitifully at his tiny desk. Chatper 49 Chatper 49 Chapter 49 Natalic slipped through the door, ready to gently wake up Nate when the teacher pulled her aside and whispered, ¡°Nate had a bit of a fever this afternoon. We couldn¡¯t reach you, so I gave him some fever reducer.¡± Natalie paused, surprised, ¡°He was fine this morning, what happened?¡± ¡°It might¡¯ve been during the after¨Cschool activities. The kids were ying with water guns, and Nate didn¡¯t have a change of clothes. The caretaker didn¡¯t get to him in time to switch into dry clothes and he caught a chill,¡± the teacher said with a hint of guilt in her voice. ¡°But after the medicine, he¡¯s been better. We¡¯ve checked his temperature three times and the fever¡¯s gone.¡± Natalie reached out cautiously and felt Nate¡¯s forehead. It wasn¡¯t as hot as before. ¡°Thanks for taking care of him,¡± she said gratefully. Nate was sleeping deeply. With the medicine having taken effect, it didn¡¯t stir as Natalie carried him to the car. Arriving at Prestige Penthouses, Natalie discovered a power outage. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked the security guard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience,¡± the guard expressed with regret, ¡°Due to urgent repairs that began at five and are still underway, we¡¯ve lost power. It may be at least another half an hour before it can be Original content from N?velDrama.Org. restored. You may have to take the stairs in the meantime.¡± Natalie frowned involuntarily, ncing back at Nate, whose cheeks seemed to be getting redder. There was nothing in the car to cover him with and waiting was out of the question. After a moment of thought, she decided to take the emergency stairs. They lived on the tenth floor, which wasn¡¯t too high. Nate¡¯s body was warm against hers, but not overly so. By the fifth floor, Nate managed to open his eyes and shed a weak smile. ¡°Lady¡­ we¡¯re home¡­¡± He mumbled something else before settling back into sleep against Natalie¡¯s shoulder. Natalie guessed that Nate feared being neglected again. Born into the Howard family, envied by all of Streamville, Natalie felt that Nate¡¯s life was somehow the care he needed. As they neared the ninth floor, Natalie heard a sound from one of the stairwell doors above. Just a noise, then silence. The dim light in the stairwell gave Natalie an uneasy feeling, prompting her to halt. Her identity made her a target, and her instincts told her something upstairs might be amiss. Deciding quickly, she turned to head back down. Every three floors there was a utility room. The sixth might have maintenance or security staff. But as she turned, a hand suddenly grabbed her from behind. Startled, she reacted instantly, grabbing and twisting the intruder¡¯s hand with enough force to send an adult man tumbling down the stairs, especially with the disadvantage of the higher ground. In the next second, however, she was pushed hard against the wall. Before she could cry out, a hand mped firmly over her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± the man behind her said, turning her in his arms. Natalie broke out in a cold sweat. It wasn¡¯t until she saw it was Brian that her heart settled. Brian had somehow taken Nate into his arms and bnced him effortlessly on one shoulder, with his other hand still covering Natalie¡¯s mouth, signaling her to keep quiet. They were very close as Brian furrowed his brows to give Natalie a stern look. So something was indeed wrong upstairs. Natalie quieted down, her breathing steadied, and she silently looked into the eyes of Brian, who was holding her against the wall. Brian nced upstairs again and when he looked back, locking eyes with Natalie, a silent understanding passed between them. Chatper 50 Chatper 50 Chapter 50 Her breath, light and ephemeral, tickled the palm of his hand, scratching an itch deep within his heart. A flicker of emotion danced in his eyes for a moment. Releasing her, he dipped his head, intending to seal the moment with a kiss. But at thest second, Natalie shot her hand up to cover her lips, denying him ess. He had just been with Madelyn. Although he didn¡¯t mind, she did. Brian¡¯s cool lips found refuge on the back of her hand instead, pausing momentarily. Natalie stood still, feeling the soft pressure of his lips as they journeyed from her hand to the tender skin beneath her ear, along her neck, grazing her earlobe. Nate was nestled against Brian¡¯s chest, and Natalie, fearful of waking Nate, dared not push Brian away. ¡°You broke your promise,¡± he whispered hotly against the delicate shell of her ear. Her lips pressed tightly together and she couldn¡¯t even bring herself to meet his gaze. A sudden, awkward cough from upstairs broke the intimate spell. Natalie¡¯s eyes darted up, catching sight of Reid and a few of bodyguards from the Howard family on the Being kissed by Brian in front of the members of the Howard family was more than a mere Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. embarrassment for her. Reid quickly turned away, giving them privacy. The other bodyguards catching on did the same. Brian, looking intently at Natalie, who had averted her face, took a deep breath before asking in a low voice, ¡°Have you checked inside?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Reid replied quietly: ¡°The intruder has left. It seems nothing is missing. It¡¯s possible they were after Natalie or the young master.¡± The security at Prestige Penthouses was known to be the best in Streamville, a go¨Cto haven for those with delicate identities. However, there was a w. The security system wasworked, and a power outage could spell trouble. Today¡¯s ckout must have been linked to the intrusion in Natalie¡¯s room. Upon hearing Reid¡¯s report, Natalie, momentarily stunned, forgot everything else and hurried upstairs. The first thing she did upon entering her room was to check if herptop was still there. Her lifelong work was on that device. Despite having backups and encryption, a theft by a skilledpetitor could be disastrous. Seeing theptop untouched, she exhaled in relief. She quickly powered it on to check if anyone Chapter 50 had attempted to crack her password. After a brief inspection and finding no signs of tampering, she finally allowed herself to rx. Brian, holding Nate, watched Natalie as she busied herself with theputer, furrowing his brow slightly with concern. Her attachment to theptop seemed unusually strong. Natalie, feeling his questioning gaze, met his eyes briefly. Without a word, she closed herptop, turned around, and began to examine her suitcase and the contents of her nightstand for any signs of theft. Brian passed by her, delicately cing Nate on the bed. He nced once more at the closedptop, noticing a waterproof sticker affixed to its lid. He paused, then looked back at Natalie. Pretending to be oblivious to his scrutiny, Natalie continued to check the inner linings of her suitcase. ¡°After five years, you still keep it close,¡± Brian murmured from behind her. Chatper 51 Chatper 51 Chapter 51 Natalie paused mid¨Csearch, her fingers hovering over the cluttered surface of her desk. She was pretending to look for something, but the hesitation hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. Brian narrowed his eyes as he watched her. Without saying a word, he picked up hisptop and came up behind her, sliding it into her suitcase. Natalie clenched her teeth and stood up to face him, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°I¡¯m broke, Brian. Dead broke. But I love gadgets, okay? I couldn¡¯t bring myself to part with it. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your exnation?¡± Brian stared at her intently, almost unblinking. ¡°I gave you enough to cover four years of college, Natalie. Ten million dors would buy you a new ¡°Ten million?¡± Natalie blinked in surprise. Brian locked eyes with her unreadable expression, then fell silent. It was clear from her reaction that she had no idea about the ten million dors he had given to send her abroad. Even as the Howard family faced financial ruin, he had managed to scrape together the sum for her. Only Samuel knew the real reason behind it. After a few seconds of silence, Brian said nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± His gaze, however, returned to theptop. It was the same one he had given Natalie years ago, which she had adorned with stickers of her favorite things and had clung to as if it were a treasure. Despite her apparent resentment towards him, she had cherished a mere trinket he had given her for five whole years. When she had burst into the room earlier, the first thing she had checked was thatptop. ¡°Daddy¡­ why are you guys fighting?¡± The standoff was broken by the small and sleepy voice of Nate, who sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes and looking bewildered. ¡°We¡¯re not fighting,¡± Brian said quickly, moving to pick up his son and speaking in a soothing tone. ¡°We¡¯re just talking about some stuff.¡± Nate looked back and forth between them a couple of times. Natalie managed a small smile at him. ¡°We¡¯re not fighting.¡± Relieved, Nate yawned and patted his little belly. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home for dinner,¡± Brian said. Then, turning slightly, he nced at Natalie and added, ¡°You should join us too.¡± Leaving Natalie alone here posed too much of a risk trouble had a way of finding her. Chapter 51 Going back to the Howard family? Instinctively. Natalie tried to deflect. ¡°No need, take Nate home. I¡¯ll just grab his clothes from the balcony.¡± She had barely taken a few steps away when Brian¡¯s hand mped down on her arm. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Natalie! Remember, you owe me. Your life is mine!¡± he said fiercely. After a brief silence, Natalie turned back with a smile, meeting his angry gaze with a gentle reply. ¡°All that talk about settling debts was just a joke, Mr. Howard. Don¡¯t take it seriously. In a few days, I¡¯ll find a way toe up with a hundred million for you.¡± She wouldn¡¯t even splurge on a car for herself, yet she talked about repaying a hundred million? Brian fixed her with a steely gaze and asked softly, ¡°How do you n to make that money?¡± Natalie thought about the incident with Madelyn in Brian¡¯s office earlier that afternoon and let out a light say other men can¡¯t outdo you? Maybe they can offer me more.¡± Brian¡¯s hold on her intensified, nearing a bone¨Ccrushing strength, as he wrestled to contain his rising fury. ¡°You are aware that Gavin is in a rtionship, aren¡¯t you?¡± he questioned. Natalie grew even more disdainful. ¡°Aren¡¯t you also in one?¡± Chatper 52 Chatper 52 Chapter 52 It was the pot calling the kettle ck. Besides, she had never been with another guy, and she made Original content from N?velDrama.Org. every dime on her own. ¡°Who told you that?!¡± Brian snapped, knitting his brows together in frustration. Natalie sighed as Nate, still shoeless and confused, chased down from his bed to stand beside them, his forehead still hot with fever. Natalie pursed her lips, ncing back at Brian, her voice gentle, ¡°I¡¯ve no interest in your affairs. It¡¯s not okay to argue in front of a child, especially when Nate¡¯s got a fever.¡± With anger simmering in his eyes, Brian gave a curt nod, grinding his teeth in tacit confirmation. ¡°Fine, stay then.¡± Reid came back from the local grocery store, armsden with bags of assorted groceries. He had no clue what the feuding pair might want to eat, so he just bought one of everything. ¡°This is the young master¡¯s favorite cheesecake. Let him have some to tide him over,¡± Reid said, handing the bag to Natalie and pointing to the cake inside. Natalie nced back at Nate, curled up on the couch looking forlorn, and nodded silently. Before she could take the bag from Reid, a hand behind her snatched it away. Natalie turned around to see Brian, his face a thunderous mask, stride into the kitchen without uttering a word. This was a matter of principle, not a case of whoever lost their temper being right. Unwrapping the cheesecake, she walked over to the living room and sat beside Nate, who was listlessly watching cartoons. She began feeding him bits of cake. ¡°Is it good?¡± she asked softly. Though Natecked energy, he nodded vigorously, eager to please Natalie. ¡°Yummy!¡± At the kitchen doorway, Reid whispered to Brian, ¡°I¡¯ve got the security footage back up and found out the identities of the intruders. They are hired by the Wright family.¡± Natalie heard Reid¡¯s words and nced back at them. ¡°Call Samuel,¡± Brian ordered, shrugging off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves as he rinsed off some lettuce in the sink. On the other end, Samuel knew trouble was brewing the moment he saw the number of the Howard family. Their n had been to knock Natalie out, take her to the Foster family, and force her into marrying Shawn. Samuel didn¡¯t dare pick up, instead, signaling to Gracia with a nce. Chapter 52 foiled abduction n. ¡°Answer it, will you?!¡± Lydia urged, equally panicked. Gracia, with a nervous heart, took the call, only to hear the sound of running water on the other end. ¡°Brian?¡± Gracia called out tentatively. ¡°Put your dad on the phone,¡± Brian said, drying the lettuce thoroughly. ¡°Are you back from abroad?¡± Gracia hesitated, her tone a mix of coquettish and concerned. ¡°I won¡¯t ask twice,¡± Brian replied tly. Brian was always unnervingly calm when angry, his thoughts clear and logic sharp. Gracia didn¡¯t dare defy him further, shakily handing the phone back to Samuel. ¡°Brian¡­¡± Samuel greeted, trying to maintain hisposure. Brian nced coldly at his phone, ¡°Give me one good reason.¡± ¡°Natalie¡­ she hasn¡¯t been home, and we just wanted her toe back, so¡­¡± ¡°Do you know Nate¡¯s here?¡± Brian interrupted, his expression unreadable. Samuel was too scared to respond, and the line went dead silent. ¡°Also,¡± Brian.continued, ¡°Mr. Wright, I¡¯m very curious about how you allocated that money back in the day.¡± Chapter 53 Chatper 53 Chatper 53 Chapter 53 Davis had a soft spot for Gracia because she had once saved his life in a dire moment. His gratitude ran deep, paving the way for his fondness toward her. When there were idle gossips about Gracia bing the future Mrs. Howard, Davis also never bothered to refute it. But his preference for Gracia didn¡¯t mean his toleration to the Wright family. It seemed Samuel never quite grasped that concept. The audacity of Samuel to pocket the ten million dors intended for Natalie was staggering. Brian¡¯s question came coolly, but Samuel practically fumbled his phone in panic. How on earth did Brian know about the missing ten million? Did Natalie spill the beans? Impossible! She didn¡¯t even know about the money since he and Lydia had sneakily invested it in thepany. ¡°You¡¯ve got ten more seconds,¡± Brian¡¯s voice drifted calmly through the phone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brian! I was out of my mind back then. It¡¯s all my fault! Please, let me make it right. I¡¯ll get the money right away,¡± Samuel¡¯s voice was so shaky that it was almost indecipherable, but Brian understood all too well. So Natalie had been struggling all these years, not even changing herputer for five years. It made sense. ¡°Unless Davis asks for Gracia, nobody from the Wright family is to step foot in the Howard family starting today.¡± Brian said softly. ¡°Anyone who pleads to Davis will face the consequences.¡± After hanging up, he ced the freshly rinsed vegetables on a te and ended the call. ¡°Look into the Wright family¡¯s financial problems. Extract fifty million dors and transfer it to Natalie¡¯s ount,¡± he instructed Reid in a low tone. ¡°Understood,¡± came the reply. Natalie listened from the living room, taking in every word. Her eyes followed the tall figure moving in the kitchen, her emotions a tangled mess. Brian hadn¡¯t abandoned Natalie after all but had cared for her in his own way. He was notpletely Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. indifferent as she once misunderstood. Instead, he had sent her money. But his resentment was so deep that even when she insisted on seeing him the year she left, he refused. But it was toote. Had he be aware of the truth earlier, maybe their son wouldn¡¯t have died in her womb. She often woke from nightmares with the image of her unborn child¡¯s disfigured face haunting her. It was a child who would have been named Zephyr and was just over a month away from being born. Chapter 53 ¡°Natalie¡­¡± Nate suddenly put down his piece of cake, climbed onto herp, and looked up into her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked, gently pinching his chubby cheek. Nate rested his chin in her palm, his face plump and doughy, irresistibly adorable. Brian finished with the kitchen preparation and nced into the living room. Natalie was tenderly touching her forehead to Nate¡¯s, checking his temperature. Despite feeling poorly, Nate still managed to yfully peck her on the nose. She couldn¡¯t help butugh. As she turned to speak to Brian, she noticed he was already watching them. The words died in her throat. Brian wiped his hands and approached them, asking softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± After a pause, Natalie answered, ¡°He says he feels nauseous. and I think his fever ising back.¡± It was rare for her to witness such tenderness in Brian¡¯s eyes. He truly loved Nate. If Nate was Madelyn¡¯s son, Brian must have loved Madelyn deeply too. Brian took Nate from her arms, checked his forehead, and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright. He¡¯s always been frail, often feverish since birth¡­¡± His words trailed off, unfinished. Chatper 54 Chatper 54 Chapter 54 Brian stopped mid¨Csentence and rummaged through a bag nearby, pulling out a bottle of fever. reducer that Reid had brought, the kind Nate always took. He poured a cap of the reducer and coaxed Nate to drink it down. Nate clung to Brian¡¯s neck, listless for a while, but regained some energy. ¡°Tonight, we¡¯re having a steaming soup,¡± Brian said, turning to look at Natalie with a low voice. Natalie helped set the table and took a seat opposite Brian and his son. She didn¡¯t touch her utensils for a long while, her eyes glued to her phone under the table. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Brian nced at her twice and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Natalie simply silenced her phone, flipped it over, andid it on the table. Nina had been bombarding her with video calls on King¡¯s phone and even sent a photo of King lying in bed with bandages covered in blood. King must have sustained severe injuries. ¡°I¡¯m not very hungry.¡± Natalie managed a weak smile and responded to Brian. If Brian ended up staying at her ce, it would be a disaster. For starters, she had another job to finish in the next few days, and she couldn¡¯t make her moves under Brian¡¯s watchful eye. Moreover, she didn¡¯t know why King was so badly hurt. He hadn¡¯t told her and she was a bit worried, wanting to ask him what exactly had happened. King getting injured was nothing new. Even if he had just had a bullet removed, he could be back at the negotiation table the next minute, all smiles and business as usual. He must be seriously hurt to be resting in bed. It looked like he was out cold. Natalie was truly anxious.. Brian watched her for a moment, silent, then fished out a couple of potato pieces from the soup. and dropped them into her te. Natalie¡¯s favorite was the potato slices in the get enough of them. tomato¨Cbased steaming soup. She could never ¡°Eat up, I need to handle something.¡± Natalie said, unable to resist any longer. After a single bite, she set down her chopsticks and grabbed her phone, hurrying out to the balcony. Brian watched her rush out and close the balcony door behind her, darkening his face. Nate gazed nkly in Natalie¡¯s direction for a bit, then cleverly climbed onto Brian¡¯sp. ¡°Daddy, feed me.¡± Brian looked down at his son and curled the corner of his mouth, ¡°Can¡¯t you see that she doesn¡¯t care about us? Why did you still go out of your way to find her address to please her? Was it any use when she was in trouble? You were there with her. She¡¯s got someone else on her mind, no ce for you.¡± 11:25 Chapter 54 His words dripped with sarcasm. ¡°Huh?¡± Nate didn¡¯t quite understand the meaning behind these words, puzzled. Brian was silent for a few seconds, and then asked, ¡°Has any man been here these past few days?¡± Nate shook his head and pointed first to himself, then to Brian. Brian gazed at him and then asked, ¡°Do you like Natalie?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Nate exaggeratedly replied, ¡°I miss her every day!¡± Watching his over¨Cthe¨Ctop performance, Brian curled his lip again. After a while, he replied in at self¨C mocking tone, ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡± Natalie pressed King¡¯s butler for information. After repeated confirmations that King¡¯s injury wasn¡¯t serious and was just some inmmation and fever from the wound, hence the constant sleep. Then, her worried heart finally eased a bit. When she returned from the balcony, Brian and Nate were no longer at the table. Brian¡¯s te was fairly clean. He seemed not to eat much either. She nced toward the bedroom, hearing the sound of running water. Brian was probably bathing Nate. Her phone vibrated again. Natalie picked it up and saw a text notification for a deposit of fifty million into her new ount back home. She stared at the digits for a long while, then took herptop to the table, sat down alone, and began to eat the steaming soup Brian had prepared for an hour. Chatper 55 Chatper 55 Chapter 55 Actually, it had been ages since she¡¯d had a bowl of tomato soup. This was probably the first one she¡¯d had since moving abroad. Nobody knew her taste in food, so she¡¯d long be ustomed to making do. [Mission start.] Chowing down on her meal with one hand, she shot a message to King¡¯s butler with the other. [Get ready.] Brian had just finished tucking Nate Into bed after his bath and came out to find Natalie¡¯s fingers dancing across herptop keyboard at lightning speed. The screen was angled away from him, its light reflecting off her face. Minutester, Natalie snapped theptop shut and got up to clear the dishes. He stood in the doorway, watching her turn and head to the kitchen. After a few seconds, he walked over to Natalie¡¯sptop, flipped it open, and took a peek. He knew her password, a string ofplex numbers. Sure enough, theptop sprung to life. What he saw was the game page she hadn¡¯t logged out of. At the top of the page, a banner scrolled, ¡°BackOffMyBabe¡®, Congrattions to you on a five¨Cgame winning streak!¡± ¡°Boss, you¡¯re invincible!!!¡± Thements section was awash with cheers. She was still into theseputer games just like she had been for years. Back when she didn¡¯t have herptop, she¡¯d always curl up in his armchair, sneakily ying games on his desktop, cracking every new password he set. Eventually, Brian got used to it and an unspoken rule was established in the house. No one but her could enter his study. Brian reached out, hit the escape key, and exited the game. The desktop was immacte, adorned with just a few game shortcuts. He nced at it, then, out of some mixture of concern and curiosity, he runched the game. Reid had said Natalie seemed off. Given Natalie¡¯s knack for IT, Brian couldn¡¯t help but wonder about her. But herputer was clean, nothing out of the ordinary. The hacker who lived on the sixth floor was a more likely suspect. The moment he closed theptop, Natalie was standing at the kitchen doorway, holding a te of neatly sliced fruit. ¡°Fancy some fruit?¡± Natalie asked him calmly, as if it didn¡¯t bother her in the slightest that he¡¯d touched herptop. 1/2 11:25 Chapter 55 While Brian was in the shower, Natalie switched to her FireWing ount and messaged the client who had offered her a job with a hefty starting bonus. [Here¡¯s your deposit back. My boss is not in the condition to proceed) she texted. A secondter, she heard Brian¡¯s phone buzz from the bathroom next door. She nced at his silhouette behind the frosted ss as he picked up his phone. Then she deleted the client¡¯s contact and switched back to her main ount. Shoving the phone under her pillow, shey down to sleep. Natalie had thought it was just a coincidence, perhaps some PR manager under him reaching out for negotiations, But now, it was clear that the persistent client had been Brian all along. When she was approached by Bright Peak Energy, she had no idea the WL Group was owned by Brian. The offer was lucrative, so she epted without hesitation. The speed with which she had taken the job equaled her regret now. With eyes closed, she turned her back to the bathroom, listening as Brian finished his shower and returned to the bedroom. She deliberately slept on the side of the bed near the window, leaving Nate in the middle and half a bed¡¯s space for Brian. But if he chose to sleep on the couch, she wouldn¡¯t mind. The nket was at the head of the bed. She listened to him rustle open the nket and lie down on the other side, then heard him. switch off the light. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. After a moment of relief in the dark, she began to drift off to sleep. Suddenly, she felt the bed shift slightly. Brian¡¯s hand wrapped around her waist, his palm burning hot. Chatper 56 Chatper 56 Chapter 56 ¡°The contract is on the table. Sign it in the morning,¡± his voice, hot with a hint of urgency, whispered close enough for his breath to graze her forehead. Natalie tensed her body, snapping her eyes open. He leaned in, his lips grazing the exposed corbone peeking out from her pajama top. Her shoulders and neck were ces she dreaded his touch the most, betraying her with a shiver as his lips met her skin. Instinctively, she bit down on her lower lip. His hand found her ear, forcing her to turn and face him. Clenching her teeth, Natalie braced herself against his advance. In the moment before their lips could touch, she found her voice. ¡°Brian, what do you think Davis and the rest would say if they knew?¡± Brian paused, their eyes locked in a silent confrontation. Natalie exhaled slowly, gathering the courage to continue. ¡°I¡¯ve said before that I¡¯ll find a way to pay you back. But not like this.¡± There were things she needed to make clear tonight. He had Madelyn, Gracia, and even a son. She didn¡¯t know the full story behind their rtionship, but she was adamant about not getting dragged into their affairs. Her return was solely for Matthew¡¯s sake to fight the cancer that was robbing him of his breath. ¡°Audrey wrecked both our lives and decimated the Howard family, but we can¡¯t let her mistakes dictate our future and continue the destruction. Even if I ended up with a man less of a catch than Shawn, at least he¡¯d offer me the dignity of a wife. At least with him, I¡¯d be in an equal. partnership.¡± Equality was something she and Brian never had. After Audrey¡¯s scandal, the chasm between them only grew wider. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The whole Howard family despised her. Though she bore no ill will towards them, guilt weighed heavy on her heart, especially whenever she saw Nate, who reminded Natalie of her and Brian¡¯s son, Zephyr. ¡°We¡¯ve reached a point where being together is just mutual torture,¡± she whispered to him. Before she could finish, Brian cut her off with a frosty retort, ¡°Then let it be mutual torture. Natalie, I¡¯ve told you before, you owe me your life. You¡¯ll never be able to repay that debt! And if I find out Gavin has been here again, I¡¯ll ensure Global Entertainment is wiped off the map of Streamville.¡± The night he tracked the FireWing signal to this building, he discovered Gavin had been here. boldly stepping into her house while Nate was present. ¡°You¡­¡± Natalie frowned, a hint of worry creasing her brow at the mention of Gavin. 11:25 Chapter 56 Fueled by his growing irritation at the thought, Brian abruptly let go of Natalie, grabbed the nket from the bed, and strode into the living room to crash on the couch. She watched him leave. After a moment, she turned over and pulled Nate back into her embrace. But sleep eluded her, her eyes shut against the darkness, mind racing. In the hazy morning light, she listened as Brian took Nate to the bathroom to freshen up. Fighting the urge to stay in bed, she rose, only to find Brian and Nate already gone. She walked to the living room, where a te of sandwiches sat next to two thin agreements. Picking one up, she noted the rity of the terms. ording to the terms, she should stay by his side for a year andply with any demand. After that, all debts were forgiven, both free of each other. Brian¡¯s bold signature was already etched at the bottom. Staring at the ¡°all debts forgiven,¡± Natalie mulled over it for what felt like forever. Finally, she picked up the pen from the table and signed her name, sealing her fate. Chatper 57 Chatper 57 Chapter 57 If she could be free of him in just a year, let each other go and live their own lives, it would be a blessing in disguise. Sure beat the endless tangle they were in now. But she was determined to pay the money back. Natalie had barely clocked in at the office when Rosie came rushing in, dragging her towards the makeup room, ¡°Big day today, girl! You¡¯re going to attend the lead role reveal party, and it kicks off at 1 PM sharp.¡± ¡°I thought it was this weekend?¡± Natalie was caught off guard. She waspletely unprepared. not even sure what the agenda for a press conference was. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m filling you in on the drill for this afternoon,¡± Rosie replied, nodding. ¡°The thing is Madelyn¡¯s got a gig at a music fest abroad this Saturday and she¡¯s snagged an award. She is the voice behind our show¡¯s theme song and is scheduled to sing live at the reveal party. She can¡¯t miss it, so we bumped it up to fit her schedule.¡± Rosie used to be on Madelyn¡¯s team and still had a soft spot for her,ced with a touch of guilt. Plus, Madelyn was thepany¡¯s darling this year, untouchable. Others had to dance to her dates. Nobody expected Madelyn to bend for them. Natalie listened to Rosie¡¯s exnation, staying silent while the makeup artist worked on her look. The TV in the makeup room was tuned to the morning news of Streamville. ¡°¡­BrightWright Entertainment is under investigation for a slew of alleged vitions, including tax evasion,¡± the anchor was saying. ¡°From now on, the police are diving deep into the case. and leaders of BrightWright Entertainment will cooperate with the inquiry.¡± Natalie was pricked at the mention of the Wright family, and she nced at the TV. Rosie, remote in hand, watched for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°Everyone gives a shove to a falling wall. The Wright family has been too bold, riding on Mr. Howard¡¯s favor. After all no rose blooms forever, right?¡± As Natalie was about to respond, the door to the makeup room swung open. Upon turning and catching sight of Madelyn¡¯s entrance, Rosie swiftly sealed her lips and quickly switched the TV channel. Madelyn was Brian¡¯s new golden girl and Rosie knew better than to speak out of turn. Madelyn, spotting Natalie, thought for a second and then took a seat at a makeup station a couple down from hers. Madelyn¡¯s new agent, still watching the news, handed her a phone. Madelyn nced at it, smiled faintly, and said, ¡°Gracia owes the Howard family one. Brian is Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Chapter 57 bound to lend a hand. You guys should zip it.¡± Rosie stuck out her tongue stealthily and whispered to Natalie. ¡°I¡¯ll head next door to pick out a few outfits for you.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Natalie nodded. Madelyn¡¯s agent cast a dismissive roll of her eyes towards them, continuing her perusal of the news without interruption. A few minutester, she thrust the phone at Madelyn again, ¡°Who¡¯s this Annika? She got a lot of nerve challenging you in public.¡± Natalie turned at the mention of Annika, catching a glimpse of the agent¡¯s phone. ¡°Just a cover artist who¡¯s been hot for the past couple of years. We both covered the same old song, that¡¯s all. And she did her version before I performed it on the show. No need to make a fuss,¡± Madelyn said calmly while applying foundation. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t until you sang it on the showst month that the song hit the trend charts again. Annika has been heating it up this month, clearly riding your coattails!¡± the agent retorted. clearly miffed. ¡°If you got worked up over stuff like this every day, you wouldn¡¯t have time for anything else.¡± Madelyn